


These Times Of Ours

by Melanie_b



Series: These Times of Ours [1]
Category: 12 Monkeys (TV), Kabby fandom, The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - The 100 (TV) Fusion, Crossover, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-19
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2019-10-09 08:40:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 49,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17403686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melanie_b/pseuds/Melanie_b
Summary: When the bunker is opened in s5 ep4 “Pandora’s Box” Kane and Abby don’t go with Diyoza but flee on their own. In a disused warehouse they make a startling discovery and embark on an adventure that will change their lives forever.Or Power Couple Kabby on a mission to Save the World with a healthy dose of Fluff and Smut and Badassery thrown in for good measure.





	1. Escape

**Author's Note:**

> This is a The 100/12 Monkeys crossover fic but it is first and foremost a Kabby fic. If you haven’t seen 12 Monkeys, the only thing you need to know is that Project Splinter invented time travel to try to save the world from a plague which wiped out humanity in 2017. For the purpose of this fic they succeeded, but this is not really a spoiler, as the 12 Monkeys story is so much more than that. (And if you haven’t watched it, watch it! It’s amazing.) Also for the purpose of this fic Raven came down to Earth with Bellamy and the others, leaving Murphy on the mothership alone and having already hacked into the Eligius IV files.
> 
> I don't own any of the characters or dialogues taken from the episodes of The 100 or 12 Monkeys.

 

Year: 2156

2203 days after Praimfaya

_Abby_

 

It was a sunny day, the first day she set foot out of the bunker in six years, but that wasn’t the first thing she noticed. Nor was it the slight breeze which hadn’t ruffled her hair in more than two thousand days. The first thing that struck her was the silence. In the bunker, every sound, every footstep, every voice echoed to the backbeat of the bunker’s life systems which thrummed twenty-four hours a day. An eternal soundtrack to the living horror story that life in the bunker had become, only fading into insignificance on the occasions of the fighting pits. Then it was replaced by roars of rage and terror, and even more chilling, exultation.

Here on the surface the sounds were muted, carried away by the breeze, lost in the vast emptiness of what was left of Earth after Praimfaya. Nothing had survived for as far as she could see. She squinted in the sunlight, her eyes taking in the ruins of the Polis tower which had collapsed on top of the bunker entrance, inadvertently imprisoning them for six years.

 _Six years_. Six years had passed since the day Marcus had heard Clarke banging at the bunker entrance, as desperate to get in to them as they were to get out to her. The sweet joy of knowing Clarke was alive quickly gave way to the numbing despair that they were trapped, their refuge from Praimfaya transforming itself into a communal tomb. The only difference was that the occupants were still alive. For six years Abby had lived - no, survived - in the tomb, knowing her daughter was out there alone on the surface. Wondering how she could possibly survive on a burnt out hulk of a planet.

She closed her eyes and turned her face to the sun, relishing in the warmth and light. When she opened them again happiness radiated through her as her eyes rested on Marcus hugging Clarke, or rather Clarke hugging Marcus since he was still handcuffed. The affection on their faces was unmistakable and Abby felt tears pricking at her eyes. She approached them, reaching out instinctively to hold on to them, but even as her hands made contact with them a voice in her head reminded her that they weren’t out of danger yet. Octavia wasn’t likely to forgive Marcus just because they were out of the bunker. They had to get out of there.

“Mom, we have to go,” Clarke said in a urgent voice. “This way.” She led them quickly through the ruins of Polis until they were hidden from sight by the collapsed tower, to an opening where Indra was waiting for them.

“Raven’s on her way,” Indra said in her low, fierce voice while she undid Marcus’s handcuffs. “She’ll take you as far as the hills. On the other side you’ll find a derelict building. Hide out there and we’ll come for you when it’s safe.” She nodded at them, her expression as unreadable as ever, but then, with a crack her voice, she said “Take care of each other.”

“Indra… thank you. For everything.” Marcus placed his hand affectionately on Indra’s shoulder and Abby watched in surprise as the grounder woman pulled him into an awkward hug. Abby knew the risk Indra was taking by betraying Blodreina like this and she was moved by the woman’s loyalty to her and Marcus.

The rover screeched to a stop behind them and Raven leaned out.

“Abby! Kane! Get in!”

Abby looked at Clarke, the realisation dawning on her that her daughter wasn’t coming with them. Her previous joy at their long-awaited reunion evaporated in an instant. As always, Clarke read her mind.

“I’ll come for you as soon as I can, but I have to stay here. I’m part of the bargain. Diyoza wants information from me in exchange for opening the bunker, but she won’t hurt me. We have an understanding.” She was putting on a brave face but she wasn’t fooling Abby.

“Clarke, no…” Abby shook her head but Clarke hugged her tightly and then pushed her gently towards the rover.

“Mom, you have to go.” Clarke glanced over her shoulder anxiously and, sensing her daughter’s urgency, Abby ran to the rover.

“I love you Clarke!”

She scrambled in after Marcus, and Raven floored the accelerator, making the wheels spin and sending up a cloud of dust. Abby watched out of the window as Clarke quickly slipped away, a lump forming stubbornly in her throat. She felt Marcus reach for her hand and she clung to him, his presence grounding her. The only thing that mattered at that moment was his safety, she told herself.

When they were out of Polis and heading for the hills, leaving Marcus’s nemesis far behind, Abby allowed herself to breathe a little. She turned to Raven, her eyes shining with affection for the girl who was like a second daughter to her.

“Raven! It’s so good to see you again! Are you okay?” Abby had fretted as much about her as she had about Clarke these six years. They’d had no contact with the kids on the ring, hadn’t even known they’d arrived safely, and the uncertainty had been as agonising as the certainty that Clarke was alive and alone on the surface.

“I’m fine, we all are. It’s good to see you too, Abby. Although neither of you look great, to be honest. What the hell happened down there? Why are you two on the run from Octavia?”

“It’s a long story,” said Marcus wearily. “Too long for now. Tell us what you know about that transport ship. Who are those people?”

“They were on Eligius Four,” Raven told them. “A prisoner mining vessel which left Earth before the first apocalypse. Apparently they’d been mining hethylodium on an asteroid. From what I can gather, the prisoners revolted and took control of the ship. The mutiny was led by one Charmaine Diyoza.”

The name rang a bell in Abby’s head, and her blood ran cold. Diyoza was the woman who wanted Clarke.

“So this Diyoza was one of the prisoners?” she asked hoarsely, barely wanting to hear the answer. Raven nodded grimly.

“Worse than that. Turns out she was the most wanted terrorist on Earth before the apocalypse. Ex-navy seal who went rogue. She’s not a threat to be taken lightly.”

Abby fell silent, tears brimming in her eyes, and Marcus squeezed her hand reassuringly.

“Clarke will be okay,” Raven reassured them both. “We have leverage. Murphy is up on the mothership ready to cut off oxygen to the other two hundred and eighty-three prisoners in cryo. Diyoza won’t do anything to risk losing her entire army.”

This lifted Abby’s spirits a little, and she smiled at the thought of Murphy.

“How is John?”

“He’s fine. The same cynical, egotistical idiot he always was.”

Raven’s opinion couldn’t have been any more scathing but Abby didn’t miss the fleeting look of affection that crossed her face. Abby herself had always been fond of John Murphy, believing him to have a good heart which he hid beneath a rough exterior of sarcasm and indifference.

She turned her attention out of the window to the dusty, desolate landscape. Every so often they passed a pile of ruins, the remains of grounder villages and hamlets. All that was left of a civilisation which had risen from one apocalypse and perished in another, barely one hundred years later. A fleeting moment in the history of this planet that humans were hell-bent on destroying.

They reached the top of the hill, the rover chugging and spluttering up the sandy slope. From there they could see the ruins of an old factory or warehouse from before the first apocalypse. The roof was missing except on one side, and the walls were crumbling. It had survived better than most buildings due to the protection offered by the hills. The deathwave must have passed over it.

“It’s not much,” admitted Raven, “but it will be difficult for Octavia to reach you on foot. You should be safe here for a couple of days. Clarke said there’s some strange machinery inside but nothing works. It’s been here for over a hundred years.”

Abby and Marcus looked at each before Marcus turned to Raven with a nod. They got out of the rover and Raven alighted to hug them both.

“Take care,” she said. “I’ll be back in a few days.”

She reached into the rover and grabbed a knapsack and some blankets.

“Rations. And blankets.” Marcus took them, thanking her, and Raven climbed back into the rover. She started the engine and gave them a mock salute.

“I’ll see you soon.” And she was gone.


	2. Discovery

_Abby_

They set off down the hill together, hand in hand. Marcus was carrying the backpack with the rations and blankets and Abby had her medical bag. The road was dusty and stony and the sun was merciless, achingly bright after six years of low artificial light in the bunker.  The descent was deceivingly long; just when they thought they were almost there another curve unfolded before them and they heaved a sigh and trudged on. By the time they reached the building, the sun was beginning to set on the horizon. Hungry and thirsty, they sat on a rock and ate one ration each and took a few sips of water. There were four one-liter bottles; it wouldn’t last long unless they severely rationed it.

They allowed themselves the luxury of watching their first sunset in six years, and it didn't disappoint, the sky glowing florescent pink and then orange as the fiery ball sank below the horizon. During the three months of peace they had spent in Arkadia Abby had made a point of watching the sunset everyday. Sometimes Marcus had joined her, and they had sat in companionable silence. Their relationship had been so new, so fragile still and yet solid enough that together they had built a home for Skaikru. She was suddenly assaulted by a wave of nostalgia and she closed her eyes to stop the tears which were threatening to fall. Clearly sensing her emotional state, Marcus pulled her into his arms. No words were needed to tell her he understood exactly what she was feeling at that moment. 

After a few minutes, he got to his feet. “Come on, let’s look inside. It’s bound to be more comfortable than sleeping out here.”

Abby looked at him dubiously.  “Do you think it’s safe? It looks like it’s about to collapse.”

Marcus looked at it thoughtfully. “I’d say if it withstood Praimfaya it’s sturdy enough. If you like I’ll go first.”

“No, I’m coming with you. We’re in this together.” She smiled up at him and threaded her fingers through his.

They entered the building where the wall was crumbling - there was no need to use the door, which was locked anyway, and moved towards the darker part where the roof was still intact, reasoning it would offer better shelter from rain or wind. The were climbing over the rubble when a loud clang! from above broke the silence. Abby clutched at Marcus, her heart pounding in her chest.

“Do you think there’s anybody here?” Her voice was shaking as much as her legs were.

“How can there be? Abby, there’s no one left on Earth except us, Clarke, and Diyoza’s people. There’s no one here.” He was right, of course, and she nodded, his calm logic anchoring her as usual. 

They could see the strange machinery Raven had talked about, two great tubes pointing at each other, with a thousand smaller tubes leading into and out of them. Broken wires hung from what was left of the ceiling. Abby had never seen anything like it before. She was straining her eyes, trying to make out what it was, when her foot caught on something and she lurched forward, her arms desperately seeking purchase and finding nothing to stop her crashing to the ground. A searing pain shot through her wrist and she cried out.

Marcus was at her side in a flash. “Abby! Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

He helped her to her feet and Abby winced as he took her hand in his. “It’s my wrist. I don’t think it’s broken -” she flexed it cautiously - “but it’s a bad sprain.”

Marcus led her to a corner and, spreading the blanket, sat her down. He gave her a sip of water to calm her and then opened her medical bag.  

“Should it be bandaged?” he asked, concern creasing his brow. With her directions he found a small bandage and wound it round the hurt wrist, tucking the end in underneath. Abby moved it gently and looked at him gratefully.

“I’ve survived worse,” she said ruefully, and Marcus agreed, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear with a chuckle.

The events of the day and the hike down the hill in the heat were beginning to take their toll on both of them, and Abby yawned. It was getting dark, and they had no light unless they made a fire, and neither of them was inclined to do so.   Marcus lay down next to her, pulling her into his arms, and Abby snuggled against his chest, her eyelids growing heavier and heavier until she was carried off by the sweet oblivion of sleep. 

When she awoke, the sun was shining in through the broken windows, and Abby was cold and stiff from the night on the cold stone floor. She was covered with the second blanket that Raven had given them, and Marcus was curled behind her, snoring softly. She extricated herself from his arms - reluctantly - and took a small sip from the water bottle. She was so thirsty she could have drunk it all but the doctor in her knew that small regular sips were the best way to stay hydrated and conserve water. She searched in her medical bag for her pills and noted with dismay that there were only a few left. She took just one, and lay down again, waiting for its blissfully numbing effect to kick in and trying not to think about what that meant.

After a half hour or so she felt Marcus stir behind her, and she turned over to kiss him, her fingernails raking through his beard. He smiled at her sleepily and pulled her in to kiss her again, and she lost herself in him, his soft kisses and gentle caresses blotting out the cold reality of their situation. When at last they pulled apart, Marcus attempted to sit up, and she could see from the pained expression on his face that he was as stiff and achy as she was. He grimaced.

“And I thought the beds in the bunker were uncomfortable!” 

They ate one ration each for breakfast, with a few sips of water, and then Marcus suggested checking out the rest of the building, for lack of anything better to do. Abby agreed and they decided to start with the upstairs section, a kind of balcony overlooking the strange machine. In all probability there had once been stairs leading up to it, but now there was just a ladder. Abby scaled it with difficulty due to her injured wrist, but she finally made it to the top, Marcus pulling her up by her good arm. There, they found the cause of the loud clang they had heard when they arrived; some pipes were leaning against the wall and one had fallen to the floor, crashing against the railings as it fell. They poked around a little more, but there was little else of interest, so they descended again to the lower level. 

They decided to split up, so Abby wandered on her own to the far side of the building, where the roof had completely collapsed. She was clambering over the rubble, wondering idly if there could be anything at all of use in a building which had seen two apocalypses, when her eyes caught what looked like a safe overturned on its side.  The door was ajar, so she opened it fully and reached inside. Her fingers made contact with something hard and flat, and she tugged at it eagerly. It was a metal case, the size of a briefcase, about fifteen centimetres deep. 

“Marcus! Come and look at this!” she called excitedly. She tried to open it but it was locked with a padlock. She felt inside the safe again, searching for a key, but there was nothing. 

“Well, there wouldn’t be, would there,” she muttered to herself. “Nobody is going to hide a locked case in a safe and put the key inside too.”

Marcus was with her by then and he lifted the case, looking it over curiously. Abby watched him impatiently.

“Can we open it, do you think?”

“We’ll have to bust the lock,” he answered. He picked up a large rock and smashed it against the padlock. It disintegrated immediately, and they looked at each other in delight. Marcus carried the case back to their blankets in the corner, and they sat down to investigate the contents. 

The contents of the mysterious case were intriguing. There was a data pad, an extremely old version, similar to the ones first used on the Ark more than a hundred years ago, but it was solar powered, so Marcus placed it by the window in the hope that it would charge.  There were also some syringes with a clear liquid inside, and a strange black vest with electronic dials on the front.

“What the hell…?” Marcus frowned at the vest, holding it up in front of them. Abby picked up the syringes but there were no labels or markings of any kind. 

“I guess we’ll just have to wait and see if the data pad works,” she said. “If it doesn’t, I don’t think we’ll ever know what these things are for.”

He agreed, and they sat in silence, wondering what to do next. “What shall we do while we wait?” he asked. Abby raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I have an idea or two,” she teased, leaning in to kiss him.   

“What's that?” 

“This.” She straddled him and kissed him again, more deeply this time, cradling his face in her hands. He pulled her closer, his hands wandering under her shirt to find her breasts and thumb her nipples, which made her groan with pleasure. They made love passionately and noisily, enjoying the fact that there was no one to hear them after the years of confined quarters in the bunker. When they were both sated, they dozed lazily in the sun until a beep from the data pad awoke them.

Pulling her shirt over her head, Abby picked it up and they were astonished to see a blue light flashing on the front.  She slid the switch and the screen flashed to life. The words “Project Splinter” appeared in the centre of the screen. 

“Project Splinter?” Abby screwed her nose up. She touched the screen, and the words disappeared, only to be replaced by the words “Time Travel Logs”.  They looked at each other in disbelief. 

Time travel??

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Splinter

 

_ Marcus _

 

Marcus couldn’t believe what he was reading. _Project_ _Splinter_ … _splinter_ _machine_ … _plague_ … He rubbed his hand over his eyes, wondering if this was all some kind of weird dream. Maybe he was hallucinating, due to lack of food and water. Or perhaps the air was more toxic than they thought? One thing was for sure, this was the craziest sci-fi stuff he had ever heard of. And he’d been born on a space station.

Abby was scrolling through the logs, muttering to herself under her breath. She seemed less bewildered than he was, or maybe it was just her doctor’s mind examining all possibilities before coming to a conclusion. After a couple of minutes she stopped scrolling and looked at him, her expression full of awe.

“They were using time travel to save the world from an apocalypse,” she whispered. “In 2017 a plague wiped out the world population. They travelled back in time to stop it happening.”

Marcus blinked at her. “That’s impossible! There was no apocalypse in 2017.”

“Of course there wasn’t. Or rather there was, but we’ve never heard of it. They succeeded in changing history, and we are in the new timeline. The one with no plague.”

“It  _ worked?”  _ Marcus was incredulous. He’d been struggling to accept the idea of time travel experiments, let alone the idea that time travel had actually been used to successfully save the world from another apocalypse. He scoffed.  _ Another  _ apocalypse? How many times could a species destroy itself? Three, and counting…

“It did! Be quiet a moment and let me read. There’s so much information here.”

She kissed his cheek and turned her attention back to the data pad, and he smiled to himself to see her so engrossed. He decided to leave her to it and went to see if he could find anything to burn to make a fire when night fell. 

A couple of hours later, she put the data pad down and rubbed her eyes. Marcus sat down beside her and looked at her expectantly.

“It’s truly amazing,” she told him. “I can’t believe what they did.”

“But how did they do it? Where’s the time machine?”  He was impatient for answers.

Abby turned her head to look in the direction of the two enormous tubes, and Marcus followed her gaze.

“That’s it? The time machine? It doesn’t look as if it travelled anywhere to me!” The machine was huge and immobile, and he failed to see how it could have transported anyone even to the other side of the room.

“They called it a splinter machine. The person sat in a chair between the two tubes, they activated the machine and poof! The person disappeared into the past. Or, more accurately, they “splintered” to the past.”

“Just like that!” Marcus shook his head, dumbfounded. This wasn’t possible. Time travel wasn’t possible. Was it?

“They had to be injected with splinter serum, to tether them to the present.  And in the beginning the machine fried their brains and turned them inside out. Or something.” Abby shuddered. “That must be what these are.” She picked up the syringes, peering at them closely.

“And what about the vest? Did they have to wear that to use the splinter machine?”

“I don’t think so, no… ” Abby trailed off. She scrolled through the logs again, then looked up at him triumphantly. 

“Here it is! They got the splinter suits from the future, and used them instead of the machine to jump around more easily.”

“The  _ future?  _ You mean the future of their time, the plague timeline. So what are they doing here in our timeline?”

“That, I don’t know,” admitted Abby. “I don’t know what any of this is doing here. If they changed time, why do the logs still exist?”

They sat in contemplative silence for a few minutes, trying to wrap their heads round this startling discovery. Marcus noticed that Abby was shivering, despite the warm temperature.  _ Withdrawal,  _ he thought grimly. He’d seen it before. So many times.

He watched as she rubbed her shaking hands over her face and closed her eyes to steady herself. He placed his hands on her shoulders, desperate to bring her any relief, and she sank back against him with a shaky sigh.

“It’s okay,” he murmured into her hair. “Let me take care of you. I know what to do.” He placed a tender kiss on her hair, but she turned to him, shaking her head. 

“It’s not okay, no. I almost got you killed in the arena. You had to kill someone because of me.” 

He couldn’t argue with that, so he said nothing.

“I know I have to stop. And I will. I’m reducing the dosage.” Her voice shook as she spoke. “I don’t have many pills left. When they are gone, that’s it.”

He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly, his heart simultaneously rejoicing at her words and breaking at what she was going to go through in the next twenty-four hours. They’d been there before. He knew how bad it was going to get. He decided the best tactic was to keep her busy while she could function so he picked up the vest and looked it over. 

“Shall we see if this works? Is it solar powered too?” 

Abby nodded, glad of the distraction, and they placed the vest in the sun until a blue light came on on the front. Marcus ran his fingers over the dial.

“Let’s see if we can send it ten minutes into the future. That way, we’ll find it again in ten minutes’ time.”  He turned the dial to ten minutes in the future, then hovered his hand over the blue splinter button. They looked at each other nervously. 

“After three,” he said. “Ready? One, two,  _ three _ !”

With that he pressed the button, and the suit disappeared with a short zipping sound. They looked at each other in amazement. 

“It works!” Abby’s face lit up, and his heart soared to see her looking so happy, even if it was only a brief moment. When the vest appeared again magically ten minutes later, they laughed and hugged each other excitedly. 

They played around for a couple of hours, sending the vest into the future and then into the past, once they had figured out how to programme it to come back again on its own. Each time the vest came back.

Finally, Marcus found the courage to suggest something he was sure she wasn’t going to like.

“How about - this time - I try it out? I want to see if I can travel back to yesterday.”

Abby looked at him in horror. “Marcus, no! What if you don’t come back? You can’t leave me here alone!” Her lip trembled and Marcus hastened to reassure her. 

“Listen. If I don’t come back, I’ll just have to hide out until I see myself splintering back. But I will come back, I promise. We’ve tried it so many times now.”

“I don’t know. I don’t trust it.” Abby shook her head and folded her arms.

“Abby trust me. We know the team at Project Splinter used them.  I’ll be wearing the vest, we don’t even need to programme it to come back. I can press the button myself.” He was desperate for her to have faith in him, because the seed of an idea had been planted in his mind.

She finally agreed, but he knew it was only because she trusted  _ him _ and she could see that he trusted the splinter vest. 

“You’ll have to be injected with the splinter serum, then,” she said and he groaned to himself. He hated needles. However, he wasn’t about to pull out now he’d finally gotten her to agree so he rolled up his sleeve and she injected the serum into his arm.

He programmed the suit to jump back to the afternoon before, timing it with their arrival, because he reasoned that if he went further back to an empty warehouse he wouldn’t be able to know exactly  _ when _ he was. He put the vest on and Abby helped him to fasten it, and then she hugged him tightly.  

“Whatever you do, don’t let yourself be seen by our past selves,” she told him.  “That can cause a paradox. Hide out of sight and splinter straight back when you’ve seen us.”

Marcus nodded, and together they put their hands on the dial. This time Abby counted “One, two, three!” And with a zip, Abby was gone, the blankets and rations and case were gone, and he was alone in the warehouse.

Thinking fast, he realised it would be better to hide upstairs to reduce the risk of being seen by their past selves, so he ran to the ladder and climbed up, just as he heard their voices filtering in from outside. He edged back as far as he could, not remembering whether he or Abby had glanced up as they came in, and too late remembered the pipes standing against the wall. He held his breath, watching in dismay as one pipe fell in slow motion, and cringed as it clanged against the railings. Well, that was  _ that _ explained anyway, he thought to himself.

Downstairs he could hear his past self reassuring Abby that there was no one there but them - he wasn’t wrong, he thought with a wry smile. Just as he heard Abby fall, and himself asking if she was hurt, he pressed the dial, and with a zip he was back in the present, and he could see Abby standing by the blanket exactly where he’d left her.

He hurried down the ladder and she turned to him with a start.  He’d splintered back to the exact moment he’d left, so for her he must have disappeared and then reappeared a second later at the top of the ladder. As far as she was concerned, he hadn’t even been away.

“Marcus!” she ran to him and he took her in his arms. “Did it work? Did you see us?”

“I did,” he told her with a grin. “And guess who caused the pipe to fall against the railings!”

She looked at him in wonder. “Oh! That was you! You were up there yesterday when we arrived!”  

Marcus held her by the arms and looked into her eyes, barely able to contain his excitement. 

“Abby, do you see what this means? We can travel back in time, to before the apocalypse! We can stop the apocalypse happening, warn them what ALIE is going to do! We can rewrite history, just like the team at Project Splinter.”

Abby looked up at him, her beautiful dark eyes glistening with tears.

“We can save everyone,” she said softly.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	4. A Plan

 

_Marcus_

 

They slept fitfully that night, huddled together under the blanket that provided little protection against the cold that set in once the sun had gone down. The small fire they had made offered some warmth but not enough to last through the night.  In the throes of withdrawal, Abby shivered incessantly, so he held her close to warm her with his body heat but the result was that neither of them slept well.

 When he did sleep his sleep was fraught with dreams that he was travelling back through time to stop an infinite number of apocalypses but each time his actions only resulted in another apocalypse. A nightmarish time loop he couldn’t break until he finally awoke, exhausted, in the early hours of the morning to find that Abby was no longer beside him. The retching sounds coming from outside betrayed her whereabouts and he found her on her hands and knees, vomiting her soul onto the sand. He crouched down next to her.

 “Abby,” he murmured, reaching to pull her hair out of her face and rub her back . “Why didn’t you wake me?”

 In response Abby just shook her head before another bout of vomiting wracked her body. When it passed she sank against him and he was shocked to feel that she was drenched with sweat despite the chill of the night. He wrapped his arms around her in an attempt to warm her up but she was shaking violently.

 “Marcus. Please. My pills. I can’t do this.” Her voice was raspy from the vomit.

 His heart sank. “Abby, you promised.”

 “I can’t. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Tears poured down her cheeks and his heart broke again. They had been here so many times and every time it ended the same way. The true definition of madness, he thought to himself.

 Reluctantly he got to his feet and pulled her up with him. Back inside, he wrapped her in both blankets and then passed her the two remaining pills and the bottle of water. He averted his eyes as she took them, couldn’t bring himself to watch her giving in to her demons again, but he didn’t want her to think he was disgusted by her so he reached out and squeezed her leg supportively.

 As the pills took effect, Abby stopped shaking and began to relax.  She lay down with her head in his lap and he stroked her hair until her face regained its colour and took on a more peaceful countenance. She drifted in and out of sleep while he sat on the cold stone floor for the rest of the night, watching her. Thinking.

 When the sun came up, and Abby opened her eyes and smiled at him, a beautiful smile that melted his heart even though he knew it hid so much pain and sadness, he had come up with a plan. First, he had to save _her_. Then they could save the world.

 He gave her a ration and some water and she smiled at him gratefully. He could see she felt guilty and he didn’t want that. Not now that he had a plan. He needed her to focus on that.

 “Marcus…” she began, but he interrupted her, caressing her cheek with his thumb.

 “It’s okay.” He was tired of apologies. He knew she was sorry. They were both sorry. He took a deep breath. “I have an idea.”

 She looked at him in surprise. “Go on.”

 “Okay, the way I see it, you can’t get clean here. This isn’t the place, there’s no medical equipment, nothing.”

 She nodded slowly. “But I have no pills left.” She looked like she was about to cry again.

 “I can get you some.” He couldn’t believe he was really suggesting it, but it was their only option. Had been their only option for six years.

 She snorted. “Where? In case you hadn’t noticed, the pharmacy around the corner was blown up by a nuclear missile about a hundred years ago.”

 The corner of his mouth lifted at her sarcasm. “Not where. _When.”_

  _“_ What -?” Confusion creased her brow, but then understanding dawned on her beautiful features.  He watched as the pieces fell into place in her head.

 “Do you mean, travel back in time to get them?”

 He nodded. “I can splinter back to last week and steal them from the bunker.”

 “How will you get into the bunker? A week ago, it was still sealed.”

 “The vest can jump geographically too. I can programme it to take me back to last week inside the bunker.”

 Abby hugged her knees and sat for a long moment deep in thought.  Marcus was beginning to wonder if she was ever going to speak when slowly she shook her head.

 “No. It’s too dangerous. I can’t let you risk your life for me again.”

 “Abby -“

 “I said no, Marcus. Last week Octavia was already on the warpath. And besides, the bunker is an enclosed space, the chances of you getting caught are much higher. No, we have to go back to the drawing board. Let’s think.”

 She wasn’t going to be moved on this so he had to admit defeat. He watched her chewing on her lip in concentration.

 “Okay,” she said at last. “You can splinter back to any time in the past, right? So you just need to splinter back to a time when you weren’t in danger. A time when nobody would bat an eyelid if they saw you in medical, or somewhere you weren’t supposed to be.”

 “Do you mean immediately after Praimfaya?”

 “Well that would work, but let’s avoid the bunker altogether. You could go back to when we were in Arkadia, before the City of Light. It would be much easier to sneak around unnoticed there.”

 “You’re right. That would work!” he said excitedly. “I can sneak in, steal the pills, and sneak out again. As long as I don’t bump into myself it should be ok.”

 “You should go at night when there was no one in medical,” she suggested, but he shook his head, his mouth twisting into an affectionate smile.

 “Abby, you were always in medical. You never slept.”

“Well, I had no one to keep me warm at night back then,” she chuckled. Then she grew serious. “There’s one thing I don’t understand though. You stealing the pills for me - again - is just a short term plan. It’s not going to help me get clean long term.”

 “Exactly,” said Marcus. “But I have a long term plan.”

 “Which is…?”

 “We go back in time, and stop the apocalypse. Then you won’t need to get clean. You won’t even start taking the pills in the first place.”

 He watched as a smile spread across her face. “Marcus, it’s brilliant!”  she whispered and he was hit by an overpowering rush of love for her. He would literally walk through fire to bring that hope to her eyes again.

 They decided that Abby should give him a haircut, since back then his hair had been shorter.  That way, if anybody saw him, they’d hopefully just think he was Arkadia Kane. She had scissors in her medical bag, and she expertly snipped away at his locks which had grown long and wild in the bunker. Marcus loved to feel her fingers in his hair and was quite happy to let her snip away to her heart’s content. When she had finished, she brushed the curl on his forehead out of his eyes and smiled in satisfaction at her work. “Very handsome,” she said and he laughed.

 “Now your beard,” she said, tugging on it affectionately. “It wasn’t this long back then.”

 “Are you sure?”  He didn’t think he kept his beard much longer now than in the past.

 “Oh yes, I’m sure. I spent a lot of time looking at it and wanting to run my fingers through it in that period.”

 He blushed. “Really?”

 “Really. Now keep still.”

She snipped lovingly at his beard for a while, her fingers on his skin sending shivers down his spine, until he was the spitting image of Arkadia Kane again.  She caressed his beard, a soft smile on her lips and love in her eyes. After all this time she still took his breath away when she looked at him like that.

“You know, Arkadia you was sexy as hell,” she breathed, threading her fingers through his hair. 

“Yeah?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Yes. Especially when you called me chancellor. I just wanted to rip your clothes off then and there.”

He groaned at that and pulled her on top of him, silencing her startled yelp with a long kiss.

They would plan the splinter later.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	5. Mission

_ Marcus _

 

They did a few practice runs with the vest, splintering geographically as well as temporally. Marcus would programme it to jump a couple of minutes into the future and then surprise Abby from behind the machine or outside the window, making her smile and roll her eyes. When they were sure that it would work, and Marcus could see that Abby was starting to need her next dose of pills, he got ready to splinter back to Arkadia just over six years before.

The plan was to jump to a place inside the camp, so that he wouldn’t have to get past the guards on the gate, and then hide out for a bit while he observed what was happening and when would be the best time to sneak into medical. They had toyed with the idea that he could just walk up to Abby and explain that he’d come from the future; she’d probably believe him - eventually - but they decided it was better that she didn’t know too much about her own future. And anyway, he obviously hadn’t talked to Abby, because she would certainly remember it, and would have known all along that one day they would get out of the bunker.

When he was ready to splinter, he hugged her tightly. He hated leaving her. As far as she was concerned he would be gone no time at all, because he would programme the suit to splinter back to the exact moment he left, but he had no idea how long it would take him to get the pills. He placed a lingering kiss on her lips but when he looked into her eyes and saw her silent plea he finally placed his hand on the splinter button.

“I’ll see you soon,” he whispered, and with a zip! she disappeared, and he was standing in front of Arkadia, the enormous arc of Alpha Station towering above him.

It was early morning, and the air was fresh and dewy, the sun peering over the treetops to the east casting long shadows on the ground. The sense of nostalgia was almost overpowering as he gazed up at his former home.  He had been happy here, for a time. They had known peace, under Abby’s chancellorship, and with her by his side he had begun to hope that they could live in harmony with the grounders. That was before human will and mother nature had conspired against them to destroy the life they were building.

They had chosen early morning because the place would be deserted - it would never do for him to just appear in the middle of a busy Arkadia day wearing a strange vest - and he was able to slip behind one of the outbuildings without being seen. He took off the splinter vest and his sweater and stuffed them into the backpack, which he hid behind a rock. He figured he’d blend in much better if he was just wearing one of his grey T-shirts.

A crowd was gathering by the main gate, and he watched as the gate opened and a group of about ten men, led by Bellamy and Pike, returned to camp.  _ Damn.  _ This must be the day they had massacred the grounder army, which was the day  _ after  _ Pike had won the election. They’d miscalculated by a week or so, which was going to complicate things somewhat. He slid down against the wall, trying to figure out what to do, while behind him Pike’s voice incited his followers to war.

He was about to give up and splinter back to Abby when an announcement came over the comm system calling Marcus Kane to the chancellor’s office. He remembered Pike removing him from his position as head of the guard that morning. At the exact same moment there was a scuffle outside the gate - voices shouting, and then gunshots. He crouched down lower as he watched Abby and Jackson running towards the gate and the casualty.

_ Now.  _ Now was his chance. He himself was with Pike, and Abby and Jackson were outside the gate. He moved quickly behind the outbuildings and slipped inside, heading to medical.

His route led him past the hidden opening in the wall they had escaped through when Pike had sentenced him, Lincoln and Sinclair to death. He slowed before it, a thousand images flashing through his mind. The euphoria of escaping and finally -  _ finally -  _ confessing his feelings for Abby superimposed onto the devastating memory of Lincoln entrusting an unconscious Octavia to him before turning himself in to Pike. The memories were almost paralyzing, and he forced himself to keep moving.  He didn’t have more than a couple of minutes to get to medical, find the pills, and get out again.

In medical the grounder patients lay on the beds, some sleeping, most of them too ill to pay any attention to him. How could Pike have thrown these sick, helpless, trusting people into prison? He went quickly to the back room and opened the cupboards, searching for the pill bottle that he recognised all too well by now. He grabbed two bottles and put them in his pockets. There was a water bottle on the side and he drank thirstily from it.  He could give Abby his share of the water rations if he hydrated now.

When he was done he headed for the door. He peered out cautiously into the corridor, but everything was clear so he walked quickly towards the exit. He was nearly outside when he heard voices - Abby’s voice, and another voice he hadn’t heard for many years now.  _ Thelonious _ . Of course. He couldn’t come face to face with them, so he ducked into a nearby store cupboard and closed the door behind him.

It was dark and stuffy inside, and a broom handle was sticking uncomfortably into his side. The cupboard was too small to move so he waited with baited breath until the voices faded out of hearing. He opened the door an inch and looked out anxiously but Abby and Jaha had disappeared into medical.

The exit was in sight so he nearly ran down the rest of the corridor and out into the daylight, heaving a deep sigh of relief as he cleared the threshold.

“Kane! There you are! Abby is looking for you. She’d like to talk to you in medical.”

The words stopped him in his tracks. He turned slowly to see Jackson walking towards him across the grass, his medical bag in his hand. Marcus nodded casually at the young doctor whilst his mind worked at lightspeed to find the right words before his mouth decided to function of its own accord and say something stupid.

“Of course. I’ll go now.” He smiled at the simplicity of his answer while simultaneously cursing himself for what he had committed himself to. “Thank you, Jackson.”

He strode purposefully back along the corridor and back into medical. What was he doing? This was crazy. Crazy and dangerous. His heart was pounding in his chest and he wiped his sweaty palms on his trousers. He took a deep breath.   _ I am Arkadia Kane,  _ he told himself.  _ I’ve just been to Pike. I’m worried about Bellamy and the war. I can do this. _

In medical he found Abby and Thelonious standing next to a dead body on a stretcher, clearly the casualty from outside the gate.

“Kane!” Jaha was visibly pleased to see him. How long had he been gone? At least three months, he thought, since before Mount Weather.

“Welcome back, my friend!” he said, hugging Jaha long and hard, partly to delay the imminent conversation which was going to take some quick thinking on his part, and partly because he couldn’t believe he was actually hugging his long dead friend again. Grief threatened to unhinge him and he closed his eyes, collecting his feelings.

“Where’s your uniform?” Abby asked when they broke apart.

His eyes met hers, and he nearly came undone. She would always be the most beautiful woman in the world to him, but this Abby still had a brightness in her eyes, a peacefulness in her expression that had not yet been weathered away by guilt and despair. Her hair was pulled back into a bouncing ponytail - God he had loved that ponytail - and her warm brown eyes were full of concern.  He wanted to wrap her in his arms and take her far away before the world bled her of every last drop of hope she had.

But she was waiting for an answer. “Pike just relieved me of my command,” he told her. “And stripped Lincoln of his commission.”   It was better to focus on Jaha, there was less chance he’d say or do something stupid. He turned to his old friend again. “You always did have good timing!” The irony of his words was not lost on him.

“Abby’s caught me up,” said Jaha. “I’m sorry about the election, Marcus.”

“Forget the election,” he said. “The war you predicted, the day you left, is about to happen.”

“Ask him where he’s been,” interjected Abby at that point.  Marcus looked at Jaha with feigned curiosity. He knew full well where Jaha had been.

“I found the City of Light!” Thelonious announced proudly.

“That’s great! Isn’t it?” Marcus looked back and forth between Jaha and Abby, trying to keep the confusion from showing on his face.  _ He  _ knew that the City of Light was bad news but why was Abby was so unimpressed at this point?  She didn’t know what he knew.

She folded her arms and nodded towards the stretcher. “Ask his friend Otan. Apparently he’s there right now.”

This made him want to smile - her sassy comments usually did  - but he managed to mask his amusement behind a puzzled expression.

Thelonious spoke. “I don’t blame you for doubting, Abby, but believe me, it is real and it is incredible! Everything you worry about here - war, power - none of it matters in the City of Light.”

Abby continued to look doubtful and Marcus bit his tongue to stop himself yelling at Thelonious that the City of Light was a terrible, terrible place, because no matter how horrific it had been, he couldn’t change the past. The City of Light was a necessary passage, otherwise Clarke would never have found out about the second apocalypse from Becca, and they would all have died when the death wave hit.

A woman appeared at Marcus’s side - Hannah Green, Monty’s mom - and one of Pike’s closest supporters.  He tried not to think about her fate, how she betrayed her son.

“I heard you were here, Sir,” she said to Jaha.

Jaha took her hand and shook it warmly. “And I heard you made it, Hannah. I’m so glad.”

“Chancellor Pike would like to speak with you,” she told him.

“We’ll finish this later,” Jaha told Marcus with a nod. He left with Hannah and Marcus watched him go with sadness. This would be the last time he would ever see him. Unsure what to do next, he stayed rooted to the spot, feeling Abby’s eyes on him. Was she admiring his beard, imagining running her fingers through it? He rubbed his hand over it self-consciously. He really should go, but he couldn’t just walk away, couldn’t just leave without saying anything. He reached out and touched her arm.

“Everything’s going to be okay,” he reassured her. The lie nearly stuck in his throat, but he wanted to give her something to hold on to, so that she wouldn’t lose her hope just yet.  She looked up at him, and the trust he saw in her eyes nearly killed him. He had to go. “I’ll see you soon,” he said softly.

She nodded and smiled, covering his hand with hers, and he left before he could do or say anything he’d regret. He’d already interacted too much with all of them but hopefully he hadn’t said or done anything that would change the course of the future.  Once out of medical, he literally ran out of the door, not caring at this point if anyone saw him, and back to the place where he had hidden his splinter vest. He strapped it on, programmed it to return to the time of departure, and pressed the button to splinter back to Abby.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	6. Markridge

_Abby_

 

It was like magic, she thought. No sooner had Marcus hugged her goodbye and disappeared with a zip! than he was there in front of her again, his hair a little more mussed up and a slightly wild look in his eyes, but otherwise in one piece. A look of profound relief washed over his face when he saw her and he hugged her tightly.

“Marcus,” she said, her voice muffled by his shoulder. “What happened? Did everything go according to plan?”

He sighed into her hair. “Not exactly.”

“Oh?” She pulled back from him, searching his face for answers.

“We miscalculated the date and I arrived on the day Bellamy and Pike slaughtered the grounder army.”

Her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh no! Marcus! You should have come straight back!”

“I did think about it,” he admitted, sitting down. “But then I saw my opportunity. Pike had summoned me to his office, and you and Jackson were both called to an emergency outside the gate -“

“Thelonious,” she said, nodding at the recollection of the day he had returned with news of the City of Light.

He nodded. “Yes. It was strange to see him again.” They sat in silence for a moment, the memory of their old friend like a physical presence between them. They hadn’t always agreed with his ways but they both knew deep down that he had only wanted what was best for their people, as they had. The difference was that they had found a way to work together, and had fallen in love in the process. Thelonious had always been alone.

He took the pills out of his pocket and handed them to her, and she swallowed one with a sip of water.  “Do you remember talking to us both in medical that day, about the City of Light?”

She screwed up her eyes in thought. “Yes. We were interrupted by Hannah Green. Why?”

An amused look crossed his face. “Well, I don’t.”

“What?”

“I have no memory of that moment.”

She blinked at him. “Marcus, that makes no sense. You just asked me if I remembered it.”

“Okay, I _had_ no memory of that moment until today. That wasn’t Arkadia me you were talking to, it was Now me.”

“ _What?_ ”

 _“_ As far as I remember, I first saw Jaha when he was outside talking to a group of people about the City of Light. When he had finished I welcomed him back and told him it was good to see him again. Then we talked about Pike and the election for a bit. I never came to talk to you both in medical.”

She sat in stunned silence, thinking back to the moment he was referring to. How was this possible? He _had_ seemed uncharacteristically confused that day - she’d found it rather endearing - but she had just put it down to the stress of losing the election, combined with Jaha’s news of the City of Light.

She shook her head in disbelief. “I can’t believe you did that. I can’t believe all these years I thought it was Arkadia you. Oh!” A thought occurred to her. “When you left you said “I’ll see you soon.” You never used to say that. I thought it was odd.”

“It was heartbreaking, leaving you there, knowing what was about to happen.” He touched her face, as if to reassure himself that she had survived.

“But - why? How did you end up coming to medical?”

“Jackson saw me and told me you were looking for me. I had no choice really.”

“Oh. Do you think you’ve changed anything in the present?” she asked.

They both looked around, as if searching for anything that might be different, but there was precious little that could have changed. The splinter machine was still there, as were their blankets and rations. Outside was still a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

“Everything seems the same here. We have no way of knowing if anything has changed for the others. And anyway, it doesn’t matter. If we’re going to stop the apocalypse, we’re going to change a lot of things.”

His words sent goosebumps down her spine. It seemed such an impossibly huge thing to do. “Are we really going to do this?” she whispered.

His eyes met hers. “Abby, we can save seven billion people. Do we really have a choice?”

 

……………………

 

The data pad was dead again so while they were waiting for it to charge they ate something and rested in the sun, reminiscing about Arkadia and remembering old friends. The sun was so warm, and they were so exhausted from the sleepless nights on the cold stone floor that they fell asleep.  They awoke feeling warm and rested, and ready to change the world.

_Literally._

Abby picked up the splinter vest, looking at it curiously.

“Do you think the splinter vest can transport both of us? I mean, if you hold on to me?” If Marcus was going to travel back in time to save the world, she wanted to go with him. 

“I don’t see why not. I brought the pills back from Arkadia with me,” he said, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

She rolled her eyes. “I’m slightly bigger than a bottle of pills, Marcus!”

He looked her up and down. “Not much,” he said with a smirk.

She huffed indignantly and swatted his arm. “Be serious.”

They decided the only way to find out was to try, so she injected them both with the serum. Marcus was just strapping on the vest when a zip! behind them startled them, and they whipped around to see themselves at the top of the ladder, Marcus’s arm around her waist holding her tightly to him. The other Marcus gave them a mock salute before the other Abby’s hand touched the splinter button and they disappeared as quickly as they’d appeared.

They looked at each other open-mouthed.

“Well!” said Abby, when she had recovered her breath. “I guess that answers that question!”

“It does,” agreed Marcus. “Come here then.” His arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her to him.

“What are you doing?” she asked in surprise.

“Well we obviously try it,” he explained, fiddling with the dial, “because we just saw ourselves. Are you ready?” He held her flush against his body and she placed her hand on the button on the vest.

“I’m ready!” She grinned and pressed the button, and in a flash they were at the top of the ladder, looking down on themselves staring up open-mouthed. Marcus touched his fingers to his temple in a mock salute as Abby pressed the button and they splintered back to the present, laughing in each other’s arms.

“We could have such fun with this!” She laughed up at him and met his eyes full of mirth and tenderness and something else. Was it _gratitude?_

 _“_ I haven’t seen you laugh like that in so long,” he said.

“I know. I’m sorry.” She stood on tiptoes and kissed him softly and he gathered her to him, deepening the kiss as she twisted her fingers into his hair. He groaned, breaking the kiss.

“Abby. We have work to do.” He pushed her gently away and she mourned the loss of contact although she knew he was right. They had a world to save.

They spent the next couple of hours pouring over the data pad, formulating a plan of action. They estimated that they would need to go back to the late 2040’s, since the apocalypse happened in 2052 and Becca would have started work on ALIE a couple of years before that. A major obstacle was that they had no geographical point of reference. Abby flicked through the time travel logs, searching for something - anything - they could use as a starting point to get to Becca.

“What about this? Markridge Group. It’s the company that produced the Kalavirus, but the CEO died and his daughter took over. She might be able to help us.”

Marcus looked doubtful. “The company that produced the virus that wiped out humanity?”

“ _Didn’t_ wipe out humanity, thanks to Team Splinter,” objected Abby. “The daughter worked with them. She seems like a good place to start if we want to avert an apocalypse.”

Marcus wasn’t entirely convinced. “What’s her name?”

“Jennifer. Jennifer Goines.”

“Okay,” he conceded. “Let’s go and meet Jennifer Goines in 2047.”

They packed up the blankets and rations and shoved them into the back pack along with the data pad. Abby gave them both another injection and then put the syringes into her medical bag. Her stomach was turning somersaults. Was this really going to work? _Was she really going to see the world before the apocalypse?_ She had thought coming to the ground was everything she could have ever dreamed of, but this?

When Marcus had put the vest on, he put the backpack over his shoulder and wrapped his arms around her. He touched his forehead to hers and looked into her eyes.

“Are you ready?” he whispered.

She nodded. “Let’s do this.”

She closed her eyes as he pressed the splinter button. There was a zip! and the warehouse disappeared.

The first thing she noticed was that the past was wet. Water streamed down her face and neck and under her clothes, soaking every inch of her body. She spluttered and gasped, struggling to open her eyes against the downpour. The sky flashed white and she huddled closer into Marcus as thunder crashed overhead.

She felt Marcus take her hand and start to run, and soon they were sheltering in the wide, glassy entrance of a building. Through the doors Abby could see an elegant reception area, with marble floors and soft plum coloured sofas. A huge screen on the wall had the words “Welcome to Markridge Group” in large letters and underneath “Leaders in Biotechnology since 1981.”  The words were superimposed onto images of some strange looking birds, and Abby wondered vaguely what they had to do with biotechnology. She looked up at Marcus and couldn’t help but smile at the sight of him. His hair was plastered to his head and water was dripping from the tip of his nose and beard.

“Well that was unfortunate,” he said with a grimace.

“What do we do?” she breathed, wiping water from her eyes. “We can’t very well go in like this.”

He took off the splinter vest and put it in the backpack.. “Well, we can’t wait out here forever.” He shook his hair and wiped his face with his hands. “Come on.”

He pushed the door open and they entered the reception area. It was warm and bright and unbelievable _clean._  A young girl about Clarke’s age with impossibly long eyelashes and a plastic tag naming her as Skylar smiled at them from behind the desk, although the smile stopped at her eyes when she saw their bedraggled states.

“Good afternoon. How may I help you?” Her voice was pearly smooth and as fake as her smile.

Marcus spoke first. “We’d like to speak to Jennifer Goines. Please,” he added.

“Do you have an appointment?”

“No, I’m afraid not.”

“Very well. One moment please.” Picking up a slim telephone, she pressed a button and murmured a few words into it. Abby stared transfixed at her nails, which were long and pointed and painted a deep red with diamond studs on them. She had never seen nails like that. She curled her fingers into her palms, suddenly ashamed of her broken and dirty nails.

Skylar finished talking on the phone and turned back to them with a look of surprise. “Miss Goines will see you immediately,” she said. Abby had the feeling this fact annoyed her immensely.  “Please, come this way.”

They followed her down a corridor with a shiny marble floor and stopped before a bank of elevators. She held her palm to a sensor pad and the elevator swished open.

“Miss Goines will be waiting for you on the thirty-first floor,” she said, ushering them in with another fake smile.

“Thank you,” they said in unison, and Skylar disappeared from sight as the door swished closed.

Inside, they looked at each other apprehensively. It had all seemed a little too easy so far. Skylar hadn’t even asked their names. Marcus squeezed her hand and she watched the numbers racing upwards on the display. The elevator slowed as it reached floor thirty-one and she braced herself as the doors swished again.

They stepped out of the elevator into a large, airy room. It was clearly a meeting room of some kind because a long table ran down the centre with several high backed leather chairs down each side but to all appearances the room was empty. They looked at each other dubiously, wondering if there had been some mistake.

A voice interrupted their thoughts from the far end of the room.

“Mr Kane, Dr Griffin!”

_What?_

The high backed leather chair at the end of the table swung around, revealing a woman in her sixties with long dark wavy hair and dancing black eyes. Her face broke into an enormous smile.

“I’ve been so looking forward to meeting you!”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“

  
  
  
  



	7. Jennifer

_Abby_

 

Abby and Marcus stared in disbelief as Jennifer shook their hands like an excited school girl. _She was expecting them?_ How was that possible? They didn’t exist in this time, hadn’t even been _born_ yet.

Marcus was the first to recover. “You know us?” His voice was hoarse with shock.

Jennifer rolled her eyes.

“Well, no! I don’t _know_ you. But I knew you were coming.” She narrowed her eyes at them. “Have you come from the future or the past?”

“The future.” Abby finally found her voice. “One hundred and nine years in the future, to be precise.”

“A hundred and nine years? That‘s great!”

“It is?”

“Of course!  One hundred and nine is a prime number!”

Abby wasn’t sure why this was important but Jennifer seemed to think it was so she decided to let it go.

“How did you know we were coming?”

“I saw it. You. I saw both of you. I see time like pieces of a jigsaw that fit together to make one big picture. Time is not linear, you see.”

Abby absolutely didn’t see, but until two days ago she never would have thought time travel was possible, so she put it down to another great mystery she had yet to grasp.

Marcus cleared his throat nervously. “We’re here because we need your help, Miss Goines.”

Jennifer waved her hand dismissively. “Please, call me Jennifer. What’s the problem?”

“Thank you. I’m Marcus, and this is Abby. And we’re here to stop the world ending.”

Jennifer froze, her eyes wide. She had a slightly manic look about her which Abby found a little scary. “But we already did that!” she exclaimed in disbelief.

“It’s going to end again, I’m afraid _.”_

Jennifer sat down heavily, indicating two chairs. “You’d better tell me everything.”

………………….

Jennifer sent for some tea and chocolate biscuits and Abby and Marcus tucked in hungrily. They had never had chocolate before and Abby couldn’t believe how exquisitely sweet and creamy it was. Jennifer poured tea for them all and then leaned forward intently.

“So, how does the world end?”

“Which time? The first time an AI is going to hack into the the nuclear codes and set off every nuclear missile on Earth,” said Marcus through a mouthful of chocolate biscuit. “It was designed to solve the problems of the Earth and its conclusion was - will be - that there are too many people. So it wiped - will wipe - out the human race. Problem solved.”

Jennifer raised her eyebrows. “That’s drastic. Sounds like a case of perverse instantiation.”

“It was. I mean, it is. Will be.” Dammit, time travel really complicated things as far as grammar was concerned.

“So when is this going to happen?”

“2052,” said Marcus. “We thought we were the only survivors, the inhabitants of the twelve space stations in orbit at the time. But there are survivors on Earth too. They survive thanks to a scientist called Becca, who invented a solution called nightblood, which will help them to metabolise the radiation.” He frowned and took a sip of his tea.”I’m sorry, I really don’t know if I should be using the the past tense or the future tense to tell you what happened - will happen.”

Jennifer smiled sympathetically. “These are events that will be going to have happened,” she said wisely. “Time travel defies the laws of grammar.”

Abby glanced at Marcus to see if this had clarified things at all and smiled to see that it had not. He had biscuit crumbs in his beard so she reached out to brush them away discreetly with her thumb.  

“Becca just happens to be the same scientist who is going to invent the AI,” Abby continued whilst Marcus drank his tea.

“And then in 2150, ninety-eight years after the first apocalypse,” Marcus went on, “the disused nuclear reactors are going to go into meltdown, causing a death wave of fire that will destroy what little life survived the 2052 apocalypse. Eight hundred people survive in a bunker underground. We were - are - among them.”

“ _Another_ apocalypse?” Jennifer leaned forward, incredulity written all over her face. “So the world ends _three times_?”

“So far yes. In 2156 the Earth is completely uninhabitable. There’s no food, no water, no wildlife. Nothing grows. It’s just a radioactive wasteland with a population of about a thousand people, who probably aren’t going to survive much longer.”

Jennifer sat in silence, and they looked at each other nervously. Did she think they were crazy?

“Okaaay,” she said slowly. “So how did you wind up here? In 2047?”

“We found a splinter vest and a data pad in an old disused building,” Abby told her. “I think it’s where Project Splinter took place. The splinter machine is still there in 2156 but nothing had been touched for over a hundred years as far as we could see.”

“Raritan,” said Jennifer softly, a faraway look in her eyes. She snapped back to the present. “Okay, so tell me what you want to do. How do we stop the world ending?”

“We’re not sure,” said Abby. “I guess we need to find Becca, and stop her making the AI.”

“Exactly,” said Marcus. “We just need to talk to her, explain what’s going to happen. But we have no idea where to find her.”

“Do you know her surname?”

“Um, no.”

“Where she was born?”

“No.”

“Which college she went to?”

They shook their heads despondently and Jennifer rolled her eyes.

“Well this may be difficult,” she remarked.

“We know that she discovered a pathway to the human consciousness,” Marcus said hopefully.

“Great! When?”

“Twenty fifty-one”

“That’s of no use whatsoever. It hasn’t happened yet.” Jennifer was beginning to sound exasperated.

“Will you help us?” Abby asked pleadingly.

“I’ll see what I can do. I’ll make some phone calls, do some Google searches. But before you two can save the world you need to get cleaned up and eat something. You look like you haven’t had a decent meal in forever.” She looked them up and down.  “I have a suite at the Emerson Hotel. You can stay there. I’ll see what I can dig up about this Becca and I’ll come by tomorrow to show you what I’ve found.”

She stood up and they took it as their cue to stand up too. Abby liked the sound of the Emerson hotel suite and the words “clean” and “eat.” She couldn’t remember the last time she hadn’t felt hungry and dirty.

Marcus was shaking Jennifer’s hand gratefully. “Thank you Miss Goines - Jennifer,” he said with a smile. “We really appreciate your taking the time to help us -“

He stopped as he glanced out of the window, his eyes creasing in confusion. Abby followed his gaze, wondering what he had seen from this high up. He was looking at a small field behind the building, where half a dozen beautiful white horses stood, their silvery manes blowing in the wind, and shiny ivory coloured horns rising majestically from their foreheads.

“Are those - _unicorns?”_ he asked.

“Uh-huh,” replied Jennifer. “Aren’t they beautiful?” A wide grin spread across her face. “Markridge cloned them, right after we brought the dodo back from extinction. It’s part of our project to give the planet back to the animals.”

Abby remembered the strange birds on the screen in the reception. _Dodos!_

Jennifer opened the door to the elevator, pressing her palm against the touch pad, and they followed her in. As they descended she turned to them, her eyes alight with passion.

“Markridge is currently engaged in a project to bring back the dinosaurs,” she said excitedly. “Can you imagine, an island where you can see pterodactyls flying overhead? A brontosaurus plodding through the forest?”

Abby thought that sounded very much like a recipe for apocalypse number four.

“A brontosaurus?” Marcus said weakly and Abby smiled dazedly as much at Marcus’s horrified expression as at Jennifer’s infectious enthusiasm.

They said goodbye to Jennifer and soon they were in a cab on their way to the Emerson hotel, gliding through the Manhattan streets still wet from the earlier storm. The car was warm and the seat was soft plush leather, and Abby sank back into it, staring out of the window at the city flying past. There was so much to see, so much _life_. A song came on the radio; These Arms of Mine, by a group called Otis Redding, the DJ said.

“What did you think of Jennifer?” she asked him after a few minutes.

“She seems nice. A little crazy, but at least she believed us.”

“Can we really trust someone who wants to repopulate the world with _dinosaurs_?”  She raised an eyebrow at him questioningly but he didn’t have an answer to that, so she turned her attention back to the window, losing herself again in the world outside. She watched women hurrying along in elegant suits, men with children waiting to cross the road, kids with baseball caps and headphones hanging out on street corners. Cars and buses everywhere, taking people to work or to the mall or to meet friends. Bicycles weaving in and out of the traffic.  All of them happily living out their their lives, warm and safe with the people they loved.

What would these people do, she wondered, if one day all this was gone. If all they could do was try to survive, forced to do terrible things, until they lost the very last thing they had left; themselves.

  



	8. The Emerson

_ Abby _

The cab drew up outside the hotel and Abby and Marcus climbed out. They walked into the foyer, which seemed surprisingly old-style compared to Markridge, although they had little to compare it to in the year 2047. The receptionist greeted them with a warm smile - much more genuine than Skylar’s - and gave them the key to suite 607. Jennifer had called in advance to let the hotel know they were coming and order food for them, so they thanked him and headed towards the elevators.

Room 607 proved to be a delight. There was a living area, with a sofa and armchairs, and a bedroom with a huge soft bed, covered in pillows. Marcus looked at it longingly, but Abby shook her head.

“We need to wash first,” she reprimanded him. “And eat. Then you can sleep.”

“It wasn’t sleeping I was planning on doing,” he said with a wink, taking her hand and pulling her towards him. 

“Well, a good shower wouldn’t hurt for that either,” she countered. 

“You know I love you even when you’re sweaty and grimy.”

“I know you do.” She chuckled. “But I don’t particularly love myself when I feel like this.” It had been three days since she’d even seen a bar of soap. Her hair was matted and tangled, and her wet clothes were sticking uncomfortably to her skin. She couldn’t wait to get out of them. It seemed too good to be true that she was going to get a hot shower and sleep in that warm comfortable bed.

As usual, he read her thoughts immediately.  “What is it?”

“I can’t believe we’re here,” she said softly. “Do you think - Are we doing the right thing, Marcus?” 

He pulled her to him. “Yes. We are.  All we ever wanted to do was save our people. Now we have the chance to save the world. How can it be wrong?”

“But what if - we change history, and -“ she swallowed, hardly able to put into words the fear that had been growing inside her. “What if - we don’t exist in the new timeline? What if we are never born?”

Marcus sighed a deep sigh, and she could see the thought had occurred to him too. 

“Fate wouldn’t be so cruel as to erase the people who saved the world,” he said with conviction. “We have to believe that, Abby.”

“And if we exist, but we’re not together? Or we don’t even know each other?” Her eyes brimmed with tears.

“Then I’ll come and find you,” he promised, his eyes on fire. “Nothing will keep me from having you in my life.”

She pulled his head down roughly, her mouth needing his, needing the reassurance that he was real and they were together. He kissed her back fiercely, and the tears she had been holding back slid silently down her cheeks.

“I love you,” she breathed when they broke apart.

“I love you too. So, so much.” He wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. “And that’s all that matters. Not yesterday or tomorrow. Nobody knows if they will get a happily ever after. All that matters is now.” He stroked her hair, a frown crossing his face as his fingers caught in a tangle. “Now, how about that shower you mentioned?”

Taking her hand, he led her to the bathroom, where they stopped and stared in delight at the enormous bath tub, already filled with steaming hot water and thick foamy bubbles. In a flash they had both stripped naked and plunged into the water, Abby leaning back against Marcus’s chest. The warm water was soothing, relaxing her aching muscles and washing away her doubts. They half-floated in bliss for a while, and just when Abby was beginning to worry they might fall asleep and drown, she felt Marcus’s hands roaming over her body, rousing her up and making every nerve end tingle. She closed her eyes, giving in to the pleasure. 

“Is this okay?” he murmured against her hair, and she nodded  _ yes,  _ of course it was okay, because when was it ever not okay for him to touch her like that? She sighed as she felt his lips on her neck, his hands wandering lower and lower until they slipped between her legs and oh  _ God  _ that felt so good, the unfamiliar sensation of the warm water heightening the ripples of pleasure that flowed through her body. His deft fingers quickly brought her right to the edge, holding her there for an impossibly long time until she came with a gasp and a high pitched cry, her body shuddering under his touch as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her.

He held her as she came down, his mouth smiling against her skin as he kissed every part of her that was accessible to him. Abby rested her head against his shoulder, breathless, waiting for the pounding in her ears to subside. Feeling his arousal against her back, she pushed herself into a sitting position and straddled him, the desire in his eyes reigniting the fire in her groin. She lowered herself onto him and he groaned at the feel of her.

The bath tub was big but it was still cramped and they moved with difficulty at first. The water gave them extra buoyancy though and soon they found a rhythm that suited them both, Abby angling herself so that he hit exactly the right spot. He pulled her down to kiss her, not caring that the water was sloshing over the side of the bathtub and flooding the bathroom.

A knock at the door caused them to freeze mid-thrust, and they looked at each other wide-eyed. 

“Who is it?” called Marcus. Abby cringed, biting her lip. 

A voice replied “Room service! I’ll leave it in the living room!”

“Thank you!” Marcus answered in his most nonchalant voice, and Abby buried her face in his shoulder, shaking with silent laughter.  They heard the door open and the trolley being wheeled in. When the door closed again they dissolved into laughter, their passion dissipating. The bathwater was nearly cold and the bubbles were long gone, most of them onto the bathroom floor.

“Maybe we should get washed,” Marcus suggested ruefully, reaching for the soap, and Abby agreed. He washed her back, and then helped her shampoo her hair. There was a second bottle with “conditioner” written on it, so he put some of that on too, and was amazed to find that his fingers slid easily through the tangles.

When they were both washed, they wrapped themselves in the huge fluffy bathrobes which were folded on the chair, Abby’s deep red and Marcus’s emerald green. They padded into the living room, the wonderful smells emanating from the trolley making their stomachs rumble.  There were bowls of thick vegetable soup, warm crusty bread rolls and butter, cheese and fruit and for dessert - much to Abby’s delight - a light chocolate mousse which dissolved on the tongue and tasted like heaven.

“Ugh,” she groaned when every scrap of food was gone and they were snuggled on the sofa together, their feet in fluffy slippers. “That was amazing. I could get used to this.”

“Wouldn’t it be great? If we could just stay here forever?”

“The world is still going to end, Marcus. Five years isn’t forever. And besides, how can I just leave Clarke in the future in the hands of that awful woman?”

“Abby, you’re thinking about it in the wrong way. None of that has happened yet. Clarke hasn’t even been born yet.”

“And maybe she never will be.” Panic rose in her at the thought. How could she even consider erasing her daughter from existence? There were too many variables here. What were the chances that she would still be born, that she would meet Jake and fall in love with him? That Clarke would be born and then Jake would die and she would meet and fall in love with Marcus? Was it really worth the risk?

Marcus took her hand in his. “Abby, out there, in 2047, hundreds of thousands of people make decisions every day that could affect their loved ones. Parents put children in their cars to take them to the mall, knowing that it could be the last journey they ever make. Families board aeroplanes to go on vacation trying to ignore the thought that that aeroplane may be destined never to arrive. Even crossing the road at a certain moment can be a decision with fatal consequences. These are risks that people take everyday without any certainty of the outcome.” She nodded reluctantly, and he went on. “What we are doing is no different, but we do have the certainty that seven billion people will be saved. That alone makes it worthwhile.” He lifted her chin to look at him. “We just have to have hope.”

  
  
  
  
  



	9. Finding Becca

_ Marcus _

The banging on the door grew ever more insistent, threatening to wake him from a blissful dream in which he and Abby were riding unicorns through a lush green meadow. As the volume increased he groaned and burrowed further under the duvet, pulling Abby closer to him. She was still naked from their love making the evening before and the feel of her soft curves against his body had the opposite effect, arousing all of his senses until he had no choice but to wake up and accept that someone was knocking on the door.

Grumbling under his breath, he stumbled out of bed and into the living room, where the clock on the mantelpiece told him the time was 6:40 am. He pulled on his bathrobe and opened the door, expecting to find room service and breakfast awaiting him. Instead, he found a very wide awake Jennifer, loaded down with bags.

“Jennifer.” He blinked in sleepy surprise. “I - we didn’t expect you so early.”

“Early? I’ve been up for hours, Kane.” She breezed past him into the living room and dumped the bags on the sofa. “Although I haven’t had breakfast yet, and by the looks of it, neither have you. Shall I call room service while you get dressed?” She looked him up and down with a grin and he felt his cheeks grow warm, suddenly conscious of the fact that he was completely naked under the bathrobe. 

“Yes - of course, right,” he muttered, heading for the bedroom. 

“Wake Abby up too!” Jennifer yelled after him. “No one ever stopped an apocalypse by staying in bed till seven am.”

He stopped and turned back to her. “Um, we don’t have any clothes,” he said. “The things we were wearing yesterday are still wet.” Mainly because they had got soaked on the bathroom floor, but he didn’t tell her that.

“Oh right, yeah. I brought you some.” She handed him the bags. “You can’t very well go around looking like you’ve come from the apocalypse.” She snorted at her own joke and he couldn’t help smiling. 

He took the bags with a heartfelt  _ thanks  _ and disappeared into the bedroom, where Abby was peering at him with wide eyes from under the duvet. 

“Is that  _ Jennifer?”  _ she asked incredulously. “What time is it?” 

“Six forty,” he told her. “Here, get dressed. She’s ordering room service.”

Abby groaned, dragging herself out of bed.  “I was looking forward to a lazy breakfast in bed.”   She opened the bags and pulled out a pair of jeans, a t-shirt and a soft deep red sweater, underwear, a hair brush and toiletries and a pair of sneakers. She put them on, although the jeans were a bit big, and brushed her hair. The conditioner had left it soft and silky and Marcus watched the thick shiny waves cascading over her shoulders. He reached out and ran his fingers through it.

“Hey, beautiful,” he said softly, and she smiled up at him, but a banging on the door made them jump.

“Guys! Breakfast is here!” 

Marcus shook his head. “Come on, we can’t keep her waiting.” He pulled out his clothes - jeans and a black t-shirt and hooded sweater, and slipped them on. They brushed their teeth, grimacing at the strong taste of the toothpaste, and went out to meet Jennifer, who looked them up and down appreciatively as they came out of the bedroom.

“Hey! You two scrub up pretty good!” she said through a mouthful of croissant. “Not bad at all!”

They sat down, blushing furiously at her compliment, and she poured them coffee. Marcus added cream and sugar - just because he could - but Abby took hers strong and black. Whilst they ate, Jennifer told them what she had found.

“Okay. I searched for people with the name of Becca or Rebecca working in the field of information science at the moment. Eleven people came up. Here.”

She passed them the data pad - an identical one to the one they had found in the future - and they read through the information. All eleven women were possible candidates. 

“Are there any photos?” Marcus asked. 

“Would that help? Do you know what she looked like?”

“Yes. When we were in the City of Light, we saw what  A.L.I.E. looked like, and the avatar was modelled on her creator.”

Jennifer’s eyes looked ready to pop out of her head. “The City of  _ Light?” _

_ “ _ It’s a long story. Do you have any photos?”

Jennifer tapped away at the datapad, and then handed it to them. The screen showed a photo of a blonde woman with glasses in her thirties. They shook their heads. 

“Becca had - has - long black hair,” said Abby. “And she’s young. Mid-twenties I’d say.”

Jennifer scrolled through the photos, her nails tapping on the screen.  Finally she stopped and showed them a photo of a striking looking girl in her early twenties, with long dark hair and a bright smile. 

“Yes!” they said together. “That’s her.”

“Right! Great! So we have our destroyer of worlds.” Jennifer’s face was a picture of joy, but the joy was quickly replaced by a frown. “Now we just have to stop her.”

“Is there a home address, or work address?”

“There’s this.” She passed them the datapad, and they poured over it. A web page for the University of New York announced that there would be an inauguration party for a new AI project “Project A.L.I.E” on Saturday May 15th. 

“That’s tonight!” she rubbed her hands together gleefully. “You two can just go along and warn her about what her AI is going to do. And voilà!  Apocalypse averted.”

Marcus wasn’t so sure it would be that simple. 

“Alrighty then,” said Jennifer, gathering her things together.  “I’ll make some phone calls to get you on the guest list for this party. I’ll come back later this afternoon with fancy clothes,” - she winked at Abby - “and get you two all dolled up to go to this party. Will you be okay till then?”

Marcus looked at Abby with a grin. “Oh I’m sure we can amuse ourselves,” he said. “Can we go out? Have a look around?”

Jennifer nodded and picked up her bag and data pad. “Be careful though. Try not to interact with anyone. You know, causality and all that.” She smiled enigmatically. “Mother Nature doesn’t like it when you rearrange her furniture.”

And with a cheerful wave she was gone.

“Wow,” said Abby, falling onto the sofa. “She’s intense.”

“She is,” agreed Marcus. “But she’s good. We’ve found Becca already. That’s a huge step forward.” He sat down next to her and pulled her into his arms.  “Now, what shall we do to pass the time today?” 

“Oh I don’t know.” She smiled knowingly. “We could visit some museums, take in an art gallery…” 

“I can see plenty of beautiful things to look at right here,” he murmured, nuzzling her neck. “Who needs art?”

“Marcus…” she protested with a sigh. 

“Your hair is driving me crazy. It’s so sexy like this.” He brushed it aside and kissed behind her ear where he knew it made her shiver with pleasure, and he felt her surrender to him, her body relaxing beneath his touch. 

He pushed her gently onto her back, covering her mouth with his, while he pushed her sweater up to find her breasts and Abby wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. 

They didn’t hear the door open again until Jennifer coughed discreetly, and their heads snapped in her direction.

“Sorry to interrupt,” she said, staring awkwardly at a point on the wall behind them. “But I thought you might need some money if you want to go out.” 

“Thank you,” said Marcus, removing himself from on top of Abby, who pulled her sweater down hastily. Jennifer placed a couple of bank notes on the table. 

“Oh, and, um, it’s kinda weird when babies are born sixty years before their parents. You might want to stick to butt stuff only while you’re here.”

She winked at them and closed the door again, and they looked at each other aghast.

“Butt stuff?!” Abby spluttered when she had recovered.

Marcus grinned. “Sounds good to me.”

“I bet it does,” she murmured, rubbing her nose against his. “Now, where were we?”

“Right here.” He kissed her again. “But maybe the bedroom would be a better place for this?”

  
......................

 

A couple of hours later, they were sitting on a blanket in Central Park eating sandwiches Marcus had had the foresight to order from room service. The lush green of the park with its lakes and shady paths was refreshing after the suffocating crowds of the streets, and the May sun was warm enough to take off their sweaters.  The chaos of the city had faded into the background, replaced by the sound of birds singing and children laughing as they played in the nearby play area.

For a couple of hours, he thought, he was just going to forget about Becca and the apocalypse, about the Ark and the hundred and the City of Light and the bunker. For a couple of hours he was just going to let himself enjoy this brief taste of a life they could have had had they been born a century earlier.

Abby was watching the passers by with interest, a small smile playing on her lips as a tiny tot wobbled past on her new bike followed by her proud dad, or when a teenage couple wandered by hand in hand. Every so often, though, he saw flashes of something else flitting across her expression. 

“What are you thinking?” he asked.

Abby swallowed her mouthful of sandwich. “That these people have everything, except for the knowledge that it’s all going to end. Do you think they would want to know? Or would they prefer to carry on living their lives, barrelling towards the apocalypse in blissful ignorance?”

Marcus chewed his sandwich thoughtfully. “I don’t know. Would  _ you  _ want to know?”

“Yes, I think so.” She brushed a wisp of hair out of her face. “That way I’d be sure to make the most of my time. Spend it wisely, so to speak.” A squirrel approached them and she threw it a piece of bread, smiling in delight when it took it an scarpered up a tree. 

They finished eating and lay back on the blanket with their heads cushioned on their rolled up sweaters. Marcus took her hand, entwining her fingers with his. 

“Let’s play a game. Imagine we live here, in 2047 New York. Where do we live?” 

Abby pointed to the other side of the park, shading her eyes against the sun. “One of those buildings overlooking the park. Quite high up so I can see the park from my bedroom window.”

He laughed. “You have expensive tastes, Dr Griffin. Those are some of the most expensive apartments in Manhattan.”

She raised herself up on her elbows to look at them. “How do you know?”

“I remember watching a documentary about New York back on the Ark.” 

“Oh. Well that’s okay, because obviously I’m an extremely successful doctor in charge of a prestigious private hospital.”

“I’m not sure that’d be enough to afford one of those all the same.”

“Well what about you? We’d be married, right?” She turned her head to look at him.

“Would we?” he asked softly, and she squeezed his hand. 

“Of course. We got married on a beautiful beach at sunset and then spent our honeymoon in a beach cabin, making love and swimming in the sea. Don’t you remember?”

“How could I forget that?” He caressed the back of her hand with his thumb.

“So, where do you work?” 

“I’m an FBI agent, of course.”

“Yes! An extremely sexy FBI agent. We met when one of my patients was a witness in the murder of a multimillionaire and you had to question him at the hospital.”

“Except I ended up fucking the incredibly hot doctor on the desk in her office.”

“Yeah, because that  _ never  _ happened in medical in the bunker,” said Abby coyly, and they both laughed, remembering their snatched moments of intimacy when Jackson was on a break. But the memory of the bunker brought them back to reality and they sobered at the thought of the task that faced them that evening.

Marcus sat up. “Come on, I’ll buy you an ice cream, and then I want to see the turtles in the lake.”

He got to his feet and pulled her to hers. They folded their sweaters and Marcus slung the backpack over his shoulder. They spent an hour wandering through the park, eating ice cream and watching street artists doing magic tricks or incredible dancing where they spun on their heads, making the doctor in Abby fear for their necks, before heading back to the hotel and Jennifer.

 

....................

 

Jennifer was waiting for them in suite 607 when they got back to the Emerson, pacing the room impatiently, her hair standing on end from running her hands through it. 

“There you are! I was worried you’d got lost! I thought I was going to have to file a missing persons’ report for two people who haven’t even been born yet. Can you imagine how that would have gone down?”

“We went to Central Park,” said Abby apologetically. “It was beautiful.”

Jennifer smiled understandingly. “Well, you’re here now. I’ve laid out your clothes on your bed. You’d better hurry.”

They washed quickly and changed, and then Marcus, dressed in a black tux with a bow tie that Jennifer had helped him to fix, picked up the data pad to read through the information about Becca while Jennifer helped Abby to do her hair.  He already knew that Becca was brilliant; she’d invented nightblood, which had saved the human race from radiation after the apocalypse, at twenty-three years old, and had found a pathway to the human consciousness at twenty-six. He just hoped that besides her scientific genius she also possessed a decent amount of good sense and would listen to their warning about A.L.I.E. If she didn’t, they would have to find another way to stop the AI destroying the world, and he didn’t dare imagine what that would be.

The door to the bedroom opened and he stood up, ready to leave, but the sight that greeted him stopped him in his tracks. Abby was standing there, wearing a long dark green dress that hung off one shoulder and showed a tantalising glimpse of cleavage. It had a split up the left side to her thigh and hugged her slim figure in exactly the right places. Her hair was done up in an elaborate twist on the back of her head and two simple diamonds adorned her ears. 

He realised he was staring but he seemed to have completely lost control of his faculties.

“Isn’t she beautiful?” Jennifer asked him radiantly, enjoying his reaction, and he nodded. Swallowing, he cleared his throat.

“She is.” 

Abby smiled shyly, clearly aware of the effect she was having on him, and crossed the room to kiss him on the cheek. He slipped his arm around her waist to hold her to him a second longer than necessary and breathed in her scent. She smelled amazing.  _ God help him. _ He wanted to drag her back into the bedroom and never leave it again.

“You look amazing,” he whispered. “I’m going to be the envy of every man there.”

“You look pretty good yourself,” she answered, looking him up and down appreciatively, but Jennifer spoke before he could kiss her again, which was a good thing because he had a feeling that if he started kissing her now he would never stop.

“You both look GREAT!” said Jennifer enthusiastically. “But if you want to save the world, we’ve got to go. The taxi is waiting.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	10. The Party

_Abby_

 

The cab drew up in front of the convention centre of the Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of New York, an enormous glass structure that looked like it would shatter if you slammed a door too hard.  A stream of people were heading to the entrance and Marcus placed his hand on Abby’s back, guiding her into the flow.

At the door a woman in a red dress with a clipboard and pen crossed their names off the list - Jennifer was a genius - and wished them a pleasant evening. They left their coats at the cloakroom and went on through to the main hall, which was already filling with people. There was a jazz band in the corner and some people were dancing, but most people were standing in groups talking earnestly while white-shirted waiters wove between them with trays of champagne and interesting looking appetisers. The walls were adorned with huge 3D hologramatic displays of some of the faculty’s scientific or technological achievements; one showed an image of a water-powered car with the slogan “Go with H20 “ while another showed a brain implant which would permit the recording of life experiences through the eyes.

They took a glass of champagne from a waiter as he went past and Abby nearly spluttered as the bubbles went up her nose on the first sip. The only alcohol they’d ever had was Monty’s moonshine and that wasn’t even slightly fizzy. She glanced at Marcus and saw he was watching her with an amused expression. She nudged him in the ribs.

“Did you know it was so fizzy? You could have warned me.” She glared at him and he laughed.

“It was fizzier than I expected too. Come on, let’s get some of those appetisers.” A waiter walked past with a tray of tandoori skewers and they took one each. They were so spicy that Abby felt her eyes watering for the second time in as many minutes.

“Why does food have to be so damn aggressive?” she muttered, wiping her eyes carefully so as not to smudge Jennifer’s beautifully applied makeup.

“I like it. I could eat a whole bunch of them,” Marcus said, eyeing a waiter who was making his way towards them.

“You go ahead. I’m good with the bubbly wine,” said Abby with a smile, holding her glass up in a toast, and Marcus grabbed two more skewers off a passing tray.

She looked around the room, searching for Becca. “We should walk around a bit, see if Becca is here yet.”

“There’s no rush, Abby. We have all evening. Let’s just enjoy ourselves a little.  Do you want to dance?”

Abby looked at him in surprise, but his soft brown eyes were unreadable. She opened her mouth to speak but then thought the better of it, and allowed him to lead her towards the dance floor.

He took her in his arms like she was made of glass and he was afraid she would break. They moved slowly, swaying to the music, and she scanned the room over his shoulder for signs of Becca.

“You smell amazing,” he said, his mouth close to her ear.

“You smell like tandoori skewers,” she said with a smile, and he laughed.

“Do you remember the dances we used to have on the Ark?”  

“Hmm - hmmm,” she replied absently.

 _“_ You used to dance with every man in the room,” he said with a smile. “Except me.”

She turned her head to look at him, but he was gazing at her with that unfathomable look in his eyes again.

“Marcus…” Regret tugged at her heart.

“It’s okay. I was never much of a dancer anyway. You were beautiful to watch though.”

“Thank you,” she said softly, not sure what else to say. “I - I guess I assumed you weren’t interested in dancing.” They danced in silence for a minute. “Didn’t we dance one Unity Day? It was when Clarke was tiny and Jake took her home to bed.”

“We did,” he murmured. “It was the best night of my life.”

Abby closed her eyes at his words, her heart breaking a little at the way he had always built a wall around himself. She’d never imagined that one dance would mean so much to him. He must have guessed what she was feeling because he squeezed her waist and chuckled softly.

“Now you know why I’m so proud to dance with you tonight.”

“I’m proud to dance with you too,” she told him, her eyes meeting his. He said nothing but pulled her closer until a voice over the microphone announced that the speeches were about to begin.

Marcus huffed a little laugh.  “I think perhaps we’d better concentrate on our mission before we forget why we’re here.”

“You’re right. Come on, let’s find Becca.” She led him from the dance floor.

Becca was the second person to speak. She gave a short speech thanking her sponsors and outlining her work so far. Abby felt sick to the stomach to hear her talk about “great scientific advances” and “the biggest step forward for mankind since we put a man on the moon.”  Her AI was going to be the destruction of mankind, the annihilation of thousands of years of civilisation and progress. The superficial opulence of this inauguration party was a gut wrenching contrast with the bleak post-apocalyptic world which would be created by A.L.I.E.

When the speeches were over, Abby took Marcus’s hand and lead him through the throngs of people, smiling radiantly and apologising profusely to people as she went. They approached Becca just as she was turning away from an elderly professor and his superior looking wife.

“Ms Donaldson,” Abby smiled, holding out her hand to Becca. “It’s such an honour to meet you. We enjoyed your speech so much. So inspiring.”

Becca smiled and shook hands with them both. She was the spitting image of A.L.I.E but her movements were soft and fluid, her eyes bright and welcoming.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. Thank you.” She looked inquisitively from one to the other, clearly waiting for them to introduce themselves.

“Dr Griffin,” Abby said hastily, “and this is Professor Kane. We work in research and development, and we’d be very interested to hear more about your wonderful AI project. With a view to investing, naturally.”

Becca looked visibly flattered. “I would be very happy to meet with you, Dr Griffin.  Maybe if you could give me your business card, I could contact you on Monday to arrange a meeting at my laboratory? I’d be happy to show you around.”

“That would be perfect. Unfortunately we don’t have any business cards. Could you give me yours, and I’ll contact you?” Abby could feel Marcus watching her in wonder and she silently willed him to stop before he gave them both away.

Becca obliged and Marcus slipped the card in his pocket.

“Such an exciting time. I really believe AI is going to change the world,” Abby enthused, her eyes shining.

“I think so too! The possibilities are endless. It’s really such an honour to work on the A.L.I.E project.”  Becca’s passion for her work was evident and Abby felt a pang of sympathy for her. She clearly only wanted to make the world a better place.

They thanked her shortly after and left with the promise of contacting her on Monday morning. As they walked away, Marcus slipped his arm around Abby’s waist.

“You were great,” he said appreciatively.

Abby smiled up at him. “I know.”

He shook his head affectionately at her smugness and squeezed her to him.

“You’re incredible. I have to get you home _now_ ,” he murmured.

“Let’s go,” she said breathlessly, desire shooting through her.  


……………………………

 

As soon as the door to suite 607 closed behind them, Marcus closed the space between them and his mouth crashed against hers, his tongue possessing her as his hands wandered over the silky material of the dress.

“At last,” he murmured when they broke apart. “I’ve been waiting for this moment all night.”

“Me too,” Abby breathed, her body rejoicing at his touch, her hands on his chest tracing the lines of his muscles through his shirt until she found his nipples, causing him to groan.

“Abby.”

He kissed her again as his hands gripped her ass, pulling her flush against him. He hitched up her dress, gathering it in his hands until his fingers made contact with the smooth bare skin of her buttocks.

She felt him still, and he pulled back to look at her.

“You’re not wearing any underwear.” His voice was thick with lust.

She felt her cheeks growing hot. “I am. It’s just a bit smaller than what you’re used to.” She’d been shocked herself when she’d seen the tiny piece of black lace that was supposed to pass for underwear, and had actually put it on back to front in the beginning, naively believing that the wider part went at the back.

His eyes darkened with desire. “Show me.”

She lifted her arms and he slipped the dress over her head, revealing the matching strapless black lace bra and panties.

“Jesus Christ.” His fingers traced over the lace on her breasts, causing her to squirm, before slipping around her waist to follow the lace down between her ass cheeks. “Jesus Christ,” he said again. “This should be illegal.”

With that he swept her up into his arms, silencing her protest with another kiss, and carried her through to the bedroom where he tossed her onto the bed and climbed on top of her, supporting himself with his hands on either side of her head.

“Now I need you to keep still, because I need to investigate this incredibly sexy thing you say is underwear.” He began to kiss his way down her body, and she trembled in anticipation. When he got to the panties, he stopped, drinking her in with his eyes. He caressed her through the lace with his thumb, and she whimpered.

“Marcus…”

“Keep still. I haven’t finished examining them yet.”

He placed his mouth on the lace, kissing her through the material, and she moaned as his breath sent pleasure shooting through her.

“So, so sexy,” he murmured. “Turn over.”

She wriggled onto her front and he traced his fingers over the skimpy T of material.

“Where do they go?” he asked wonderingly. “They just disappear, into this…” His fingers slipped between her legs, teasing at her entrance, “this beautiful, magical place.” He slipped his fingers underneath the lace, finally touching her where she was aching for him. She writhed in pleasure and he hooked his hands underneath her and lifted her off the bed, replacing his fingers with gentle flicks of his tongue.

The unexpected heat of his tongue made her gasp in surprise and she came within seconds, the mattress muffling her cries as her hands gripped the bed sheets. He flipped her over onto her front and moved up her body to kiss her long and hard.

“I love you,” he told her when they broke apart. “I’m so crazy about you. In every way.”

Her response was to grab his head and bring him down to kiss him, her hands twisting desperately in his hair.  “Marcus, please…”

He quickly discarded his clothes on the floor, and then lowered himself on top her, his eyes locked on hers as she wrapped her legs around him and pulled him deep inside her. She closed her eyes at the feel of him and he began to move, slowly at first and then faster as their pleasure built, taking each other closer and closer to the edge until they both tumbled over, his groans mingling with her cries as the waves crashed over them.

He collapsed on top of her, spent and panting, and she pressed soft kisses to his forehead, her hands caressing his back until their breathing slowed.

“In case you were wondering, I’m crazy about you too,” she whispered, and he smiled into her hair.

  
  
  
  
  



	11. Becca

_Abby_

 

The next day was Sunday and this time they did get their lazy morning. The sun was shining in through the windows and the bed was so incredibly warm and soft that Abby never wanted to leave it again. When breakfast arrived they had it in bed and then they read the newspaper together, eager for information about the state of the world in 2047.

“Marcus, look.” Abby pulled the newspaper towards her, peering at a photo. She read the article out loud to him.

“David Walters, twenty-one years old, is the youngest aerospace engineer ever to graduate from MIT. David, from Detroit, has already been accepted for a three year training programme aboard Alpha Station. The space station, which has been in orbit for five years now, will begin accepting civilians in 2050, and David will be part of the team preparing the station for civilian habitation.” She looked up at from where she was snuggled into him, and his eyes creased in thought.

“Alpha Station,” he said with a grin. “Of course, the Ark hasn’t united yet! And hopefully, it won’t have to.”

“David Walters is my great grandfather,” she said softly. “He was one of the first engineers to work on the station. His son, Thomas, was chancellor, and Thomas’s son James was a doctor. My dad.” She smiled fondly as she remembered her father who had died when Clarke was ten.

“He has no idea that he is going to spend the rest of his life on that space station,” said Marcus sadly.

“Not if we stop A.L.I.E,” Abby argued. “We’re going to change everyone’s lives.”

 

…………………...

 

Jennifer came around later that morning, her eyes wild and her hair flying.

“Guys,” she said as soon as she was in the door. “You have to tell me about the case you found in the future, with the splinter vest in it. What colour was it? How big was it?”

Abby and Marcus looked at each other in surprise. Abby spoke first.

“It was metal,” she explained. “And it had a padlock. No key. Why?”

Jennifer ran her fingers through her hair. “Where did you find it?”

“It was in a kind of safe, but the safe was overturned, I guess where the roof had fallen on it.”

Jennifer nodded slowly, and they could see a million thoughts were crossing her mind. “Well, I was thinking. Who put it there? How did it get there?”

Marcus shook his head, a slight frown creasing his forehead as he tried to understand where she was going with this.

“We don’t know,” he explained. “But does it matter? It was probably just left there by chance.”

Jennifer turned to him, her eyes wide.

“No! Nothing happens by chance, Kane.  What if -“ she paused for effect. “What if _I_ was the one who left it there?”

“It’s possible,” he conceded. “But I still don’t know what difference it makes.”

“It makes a difference, because I have never put it there.”

It was Marcus’s turn to run his hands through his hair.

“Then I guess it wasn’t you…” he began, but she interrupted him.

“I am the only one who has the splinter vests, and I have some left over splinter fluid. Cassie gave them to me. Ergo, it must be me. But since I haven’t done it yet, I can only assume that I still have to do it. And I have to do it straight away.”

“But why?” Abby was just as confused as Marcus. “There’s plenty of time. We don’t find it for another hundred and nine years.”

“No no no.” She shook her head and flapped her hand at them. “No. You don’t understand. I need to hide it there before you talk to Becca. Before you change the timeline. If I don’t, and you change the future, then the case will exist in the new future but not in the old future, which means you would never be able to travel back from the old future to change it to the new future. Do you see?”

She looked at them impatiently, waiting for them to catch up, but they continued to look blankly at her. She took a deep breath.

“Don’t worry,” she said slowly, as if she were talking to small children. “Just describe it to me, and I’ll take care of it.”

Abby told her exactly how they had found the case, and what was in it, including what information was on the data pad. When she had finished Jennifer rushed off to prepare the case and drive the couple of hours to Raritan lab to hide it in the safe, with promises to meet them for dinner later that evening.

 

……………………..

 

Abby and Marcus spent the rest of the day exploring the city. Abby wanted to go to MoMA and Marcus really wanted to visit the New Empire State Building, the tallest building in the world at just over a mile high, which had been completed by the forty-fifth president of the United States of America just before his impeachment in 2022.  Apparently the president had built it as part of his “Make America Great Again” campaign of his first term of office, believing that the tallest skyscraper in the world being on US soil was a true symbol of the country’s greatness, but rumour had it that the 45th president’s obsession with tall towers was testament to his physical shortcomings in other areas. As they read the over-inflated biographical information in the exhibition on the 400th floor, Abby was inclined to agree.

That evening, they met up with Jennifer again, who took them out for dinner in Chinatown. They watched in awe as she ate her food with chopsticks, expertly picking up even tiny grains of rice and vegetables. Always eager to try new things, Marcus had a go too, but gave up when a piece of his chicken flew off the table, much to Jennifer’s delight. Abby smothered a laugh at his mortified expression and quietly passed him a fork.

 

……………………..

 

On Monday morning they awoke bright and early. Abby showered and dressed in the new clothes Jennifer had brought them the day before - black pants and jacket with a white lace top underneath and a big fluffy leopard print jacket to go on top - and when they had had breakfast, Abby dug Becca’s business card out of her purse and turned it over thoughtfully in her hand.

Marcus stood from his seat at the breakfast table and moved to look over her shoulder.

“Are you ready for this?” he asked, and she nodded.

“We just have to talk to her, right? It can’t be that difficult.”

“She’s an intelligent person. She would never want her AI to be responsible for the destruction of the human race.”

“Okay. Let’s call her and make this appointment.”

She picked up the hotel phone, and swiped the screen to unlock it. Her hand shook a little as she dialled the number but her voice was clear and steady when she spoke to Becca. They made an appointment for two o’clock that afternoon, and then Abby called Jennifer to tell them their plans.

Jennifer came to pick them up and drove them to a place called Brighton Beach in Brooklyn. Becca had told them that there would be a private boat there waiting to take them out to the island where her lab was located. Jennifer wasn’t going to come with them; they had decided that it was best if she was involved as little as possible. They didn’t know what they were going to have to do to save the world and the last thing they wanted was for her and Markridge to be connected to illicit activities for no reason since if they did save the world, nobody else would know about it but the three of them.

In the car Jennifer gave them a running commentary on places they passed. It seemed she had been everywhere, and knew somebody from everywhere and also every _when_. Jennifer's driving became more and more erratic as she waved her arms around and pointed at landmarks, and Abby’s head began to spin after a while. It was a relief when they got to the beach, where the fresh breeze and warm sun cleared her head.

The boat was waiting as Becca had promised, and Marcus shook hands with a shy young man in his twenties who introduced himself as Alex. He helped them aboard and they sat down on some soft seats in the rear of the boat. Marcus looked around him in admiration. The boat was sleek and streamlined and there was a small cabin downstairs with tinted windows looking out over the water.

“Nice boat. How long will it take us to get to the island?” he asked conversationally.

“About forty minutes,” Abby responded automatically, and both Marcus and Alex looked at her in surprise. Her eyes widened as she realised her gaff. “I guess, right?” she said, flashing her most dazzling smile at Alex, who blushed and nodded in response.

When they were heading out towards the open sea and the engine was drowning out the sound of their voices, Marcus put his arm around her shoulder and leaned in to talk to her.

“Abby, I’ve just realised. You’ve been here before,” he said in awe.

“Yeah.” She huffed a laugh. “I need to be careful what I say. It will be difficult to explain that if I let it slip.”

“Well, I don’t think Alex picked up on it. I think he has other things on his mind,” he added as an afterthought.

“Oh?” Abby looked at him curiously.

“I think you have an admirer,” he chuckled.

“No! Marcus! But he’s the same age as Clarke!” She wrinkled her nose in distaste.

“So? He’s got eyes. Trust me.” He smirked knowingly, and she glared at him.

Just over half an hour later they docked by a small pier and Alex tied the boat to a post before helping them to disembark. Abby smiled at him warmly as she gave him her hand and the way Alex held on to her just a little too long and couldn’t quite meet her eyes made her think that maybe Marcus was right after all. She groaned inwardly.

“I’ll wait here to take you back,” he told them. “Just give me a shout when you’re ready to go.”

“Great. Thank you Alex,” said Abby, and he gave her a shy smile and an awkward mock salute before climbing back aboard the boat.

“See? Told you so,” said Marcus smugly and she elbowed him in the ribs.

Becca’s lab was underground but there was a security guard’s cabin outside the entrance which hadn't been there in the future. They introduced themselves to him and he radioed down to Becca to let her know they had arrived. He accompanied them to the entrance and opened the doors using a retina scanner. They followed him inside to an elevator which he opened with his pass and they descended to the lab Abby had visited six years earlier - or a hundred and three years in the future - with Raven, Jackson and the others.

Becca was waiting for them at the bottom, looking very much the scientist in her white lab coat and ponytail.

“Dr Griffin, Professor Kane. I’m so glad you could make it. How was the boat trip?” she asked. “I do hope you don’t suffer from sea sickness.”

“It was fine, thank you, Ms Donaldson,” said Abby politely. “And thank you for inviting us.”

Becca’s face broke into a wide smile. “The pleasure is all mine. Would you like to see the lab?”

Abby looked around her with forced enthusiasm, trying to imitate her reaction when she had seen the lab for the first time.  She was beginning to have qualms about the visit. This lab, which at first had represented such hope for their survival, had quickly become the source of her darkest nightmares, and the guilt about the things she had done here had gnawed away at her for six years.  She didn’t know if she was strong enough yet to face the memories

Luckily Becca kept the tour of the lab short. She showed them her work on nightblood, explaining that they were on the verge of a breakthrough in getting the solution to bind to human blood.

“Have you tried it in zero G conditions yet?” Abby asked absently, looking over the phials of solution with interest.

Becca looked at her in surprise. “Zero G? No, why?”

Abby kicked herself mentally.  This was proving to be more difficult than she’d thought. Her mind raced as she tried to bluff her way out of the mistake.

“Oh, it was just something I read,” she lied, but Becca was nodding slowly, a smile spreading across her face.

“Zero G. That’s brilliant.” She turned to Abby. “You may have just saved me a year’s work, Dr Griffin.”

Abby glanced at Marcus, who had an extremely pained expression on his face. She made an apologetic face at him and he gave her a small smile, slightly mollified by her discomfort.

When they got to the radiation chamber Abby felt nausea rising in her throat. Her palms grow damp with sweat and she wiped them nervously on her trousers. She tried to focus on Becca but her voice faded into the background as she saw the grounder man inside the chamber, screaming in agony as the radiation blistered his skin and fried his brain. Her chest heaved as she tried to drag air into her lungs, but her head began to swim anyway. She clutched at the radiation chamber, steadying herself on the very thing that was causing her distress.

“Dr Griffin, are you alright?” Becca asked in a worried tone, and Abby felt Marcus’s hand on her back, grounding and reassuring.

“Yes, it’s - that is, I feel a little claustrophobic,” she said weakly. Nothing could be further from the truth; she had been born in a tin can in space and had spent the last six years in an underground bunker but there was no other way to explain the effect the radiation chamber was having on her.

“Let’s go to my office,” said Becca with a smile. “It has skylights so you won’t feel so claustrophobic there, and we can talk about the project.”

Abby nodded gratefully. She might not be claustrophobic but she just wanted to get as far away from that radiation chamber as possible. On the way back through the lab, Becca showed them the AI suite, a huge round bank of computers in the centre of the lab.  In her mind Abby pictured Raven working there, her face alight with excitement at the state of the art technology before her.

When they reached the office, Becca placed a jug of water and some glasses in front of them on the table and then sat down opposite them while Abby helped herself to some water with a shaking hand.

“It’s really such an honour to be part of the A.L.I.E project,” she said with a smile. “I’m working with a small team of scientists from different universities across the US. We’re hoping that the A.L.I.E series of AI’s will be able to help us deal with the major causes of concern in the world today; from climate change and food shortages to war and poverty.”

Unfortunately Abby and Marcus knew how that was going to turn out.

“It sounds so exciting,” Abby said, placing her glass on the table. “But I’m curious about one thing. What precautions are you taking to ensure that A.L.I.E stays within your control? It sounds like such a powerful AI could be dangerous if it were to go rogue, so to speak.”

The expression on Becca’s face changed almost imperceptibly, her smile leaving her eyes for a millisecond.

“I can assure you we have plenty of precautions in place. We are a highly specialised team. Why would you doubt that, Dr Griffin?”

Abby opened her mouth to reply but Marcus beat her to it.

“Ms Donaldson,” he began. “Becca. We have reason to believe that an AI of this kind could cause a disaster of apocalyptic proportions. What if it were to hack the nuclear codes? It could wipe out humanity in minutes.”

The atmosphere changed, a cold stillness settling between them. Becca looked from one to the other, her expression impassive. “You’re not really investors, are you?” she asked, folding her arms.

“No, we’re not.” Abby’s voice took on a softer tone as she went on. “We’re researchers interested in the specs and scope of AI, and we are concerned that A.L.I.E could be a threat to the human race, and to the planet. We’d just like to ask you to take the necessary precautions to ensure -”

“I think you’d better leave.” Becca stood up and moved towards the door.

“Becca, please,” Abby pleaded. “We just want to avoid the annihilation of the human race. Please believe us, we have sound evidence that this AI will destroy the planet. It will wipe out civilisation as we know it.” They followed her back out into the lab, but she stopped suddenly and rounded on them.

“I’ve met people like you before. Anti-tech fanatics who believe technological advancement is the curse of humanity, when science is literally changing our lives for the better as we speak. I don’t think we have anything more to say to each other. Good day.”

She pressed the button to call the elevator, and when it arrived, the burly security guard stepped out.

“Mr Davis, please escort our guests out of the lab.” She turned to walk away, but Abby stood in front of her, blocking her way.

“Becca, please…” The security guard tried to take Abby’s arm, moving her out of the way, and she glared at him.

“Keep your hands off me!” she spat at him. “Becca, please, just think about what we have said. Perverse Instantiation. Make sure A.L.I.E knows that it’s not only the goal that matters, but how it reaches the goal. You have to teach it that!”

In response Becca nodded to the guard and this time he did grab Abby and pushed her roughly towards the elevator, making her trip and stumble headfirst into it.

“Hey! Don’t touch her!” Marcus lunged towards the guard but the guard was ready for him and blood sprayed into the air as the guard’s elbow made contact with Marcus’s face. Marcus fell back and slumped against the wall of the elevator, conscious but stunned, blood pouring from his nose.  Abby ran to him and crouched down beside him, cupping his face with her hand to try to stop the flow of blood. She turned to Becca with tears glistening in her eyes.

“You know, we just wanted to talk. We’re not fanatics, we’re not against the AI. We believe this AI can do truly wonderful things, but precautions need to be taken. Please, just think about what we’ve said, Becca. You don’t want to be responsible for the annihilation of the human race. Don’t let that be your legacy.”

But Becca just looked at her, stony faced. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. She reached out and pressed the elevator button, and the doors swished closed.

  
  
  
  
  



	12. Change of Plan

_ Abby _

 

Back at the hotel, Abby bathed Marcus’s face, cleaning the blood from his beard and hair. His eye was swollen shut and the skin around it was turning purple. She caressed his beard tenderly and he smiled at the concern in her eyes. Jennifer paced the room, and Abby wished she would sit down just for a second. Her head was throbbing and Jennifer’s pacing was making her nerves stand on end.

“There’s a chance she could have listened to you,” Jennifer was saying. “You put the idea in her head; she might not have liked hearing it, but it’s there all the same.”

“She thought we were crazy people,” Marcus groaned. “How can we know if she listened or not? Do we just sit around and wait and see if the world ends in five years’ time?”

“We need to go back,” Abby muttered. “We have to see if the future has changed.”

“Right!” Jennifer nodded enthusiastically. “Splinter back to 2156, and if the world is still post-apocalyptic, it’s fairly safe to say she didn’t listen.”

“I’ll go,” said Abby, seeing that Marcus was still in pain, but Marcus and Jennifer spoke answered her in chorus. 

“No.”

“You go together,” said Jennifer. “I don’t want either of you getting lost in time.”

Abby didn’t like the sound of that either so she agreed, and went to get the splinter vest from the backpack. She helped Marcus to strap it on, and then she injected them both with the splinter fluid. Marcus fiddled with the dial, setting it to 2156, and wrapped his arm around Abby.

“See you soon!” Jennifer said with a grin, and Marcus pressed the dial, splintering them back to the future.

With a zip! the Emerson disappeared and they were once again back in Raritan lab in 2156. They hurried outside, hoping to see a lush green healthy Earth, but instead were met with the same desolate post-apocalyptic wasteland. They looked around them, their hearts falling at the sight of the burnt landscape. A particularly strong gust of wind whipped sand into their faces, stinging their eyes. 

“She didn’t listen,” Marcus muttered, more to himself than to her. “Nothing has changed. A.L.I.E still destroyed the world.” The disappointment in his voice was tangible. 

Abby gazed around her in despair. “Why wouldn’t she listen?” 

“Maybe it’s impossible to change the past,” he said. “Maybe A.L.I.E is always going to wipe out the human race. Maybe it’s what we deserve.”

Abby shook her head, frustration surging through her at his words. “No, Marcus. We go back, and we try again. There has to be another way.”

“Abby, maybe we’re just making things worse.”

“What? How can you think that? How can things possibly be any worse than this?” she cried indignantly. 

“You practically told Becca how to make nightblood,” he hissed at her. “Has it occurred to you that  _ we  _ could be the true architects of the apocalypse?” With that he turned on his heel and walked back into the lab, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

Abby stared after him, his accusation rendering her speechless. She was about to follow him when her attention was caught by a movement at the top of the hill. Shielding her eyes against the sun, she made out the form of the Rover.

“Raven,” she breathed, her initial feeling of relief quickly replaced by one of alarm as she realised Marcus was still wearing the splinter vest. She set off at a run to tell him to take it off and he was just hiding it behind some rubble when the Rover drew up outside and Raven climbed out. 

Abby was immediately struck by the girl’s appearance. She had red circles around her swollen eyes and what looked like angry burn marks around her neck. Abby hugged her and then held her at arms length, her doctor’s eyes searching Raven’s face.

“They tortured us,” Raven said hoarsely. “Clarke and Murphy and me. Shock collars. Clarke’s okay,” she said quickly, as Abby’s hand flew to her mouth. “We managed to escape, but that Diyoza woman is a nasty piece of work, and her sidekick McCreary is a goddamn psychopath.” Raven spat the words out, her eyes glistening with tears. 

“Where’s Clarke now? Take me to her,” demanded Abby, but Raven shook her head. 

“Abby, both Octavia and Diyoza want you and Kane dead. It’s too dangerous. Clarke wanted to come with me but her absence would have made Octavia suspicious. She’s with Bellamy in Polis now. She’s safe, and Octavia doesn’t think she had anything to do with your escape.”

Abby relaxed visibly, and Raven took advantage to look at them. 

“Kane! What the hell happened to your eye?”

“This? Oh, it’s nothing,” he laughed, trying to make light of it. “Abby elbowed me in her sleep.”

“Really?”

Abby pursed her lips and nodded in agreement.  Raven clearly didn’t believe a word of their story, but she let it go, and reached into the Rover to pull out a bag. 

“I brought you more rations and water,” she said, handing the bag to Marcus, who took it with a grateful smile while images of their abundant breakfast at the Emerson flashed through Abby’s head. “And some spare clothes.” She looked them up and down, suddenly noticing their attire. “Where did you get those clothes?”

Abby looked at Marcus, and he shuffled his feet nervously. 

“We - found them,” he said lamely. “I can’t tell you any more than that, Raven. I’m sorry.”

Raven looked from one to the other warily, taking in their smart clothes and Marcus’s beaten up face. “What’s going on?”

“Raven, you just have to trust us,” said Abby. “We’ll tell you everything next time you come, but for now, the less you know the better.”

Raven continued to look at them suspiciously, but when no more information was forthcoming she just shrugged. 

“Well, they suit you anyway! You both look hot!” she said flirtatiously, and Abby laughed and shook her head whilst a flush of red crept up Marcus’s neck at the compliment. 

To their relief, Raven left soon after, with hugs and promises to come back in a few days. Abby swallowed the lump in her throat as the girl drove away and tried not to think about the fact that it might be the last time they saw her. 

When she was gone, Abby pulled out the splinter vest. She raised an eyebrow at Marcus.

“So? Are you still with me, or am I just making everything worse?”

“Abby, you know that’s not what I meant. I’m sorry. I just -“ he rubbed his eyes wearily with the heels of his hands. “I don’t know if this is going to work. Maybe it’s impossible to change history. Maybe whatever we do will always have the same result.”

“I don’t know either, Marcus, but I’d rather die trying than sit here and wait to be killed by Octavia.” She took his hand in hers. “ Hope is everything, isn’t it?”

When he didn’t answer, she let go of his hand and strapped the vest on. Her hand hovered over the splinter button.

“Marcus…” she whispered, the uncertainty in his eyes suddenly filling her with dread. She knew his anger wasn’t directed at her, but he was losing his hope, and that terrified her. They stared at each other for a few seconds, but then he stood and took her in his arms, and with a zip! they were back at the Emerson.

“Well? Did it work?” Jennifer bounced up off the sofa when they appeared, her eyes full of hope.

“No.” Marcus shook his head despondently and sat down, his head in his hands. Abby sat next to him.

“Oh.” Jennifer seemed at a bit of a loss. She sat down heavily, her chin resting on her fingertips as she stared into the distance for a few minutes, deep in thought.  “Okay, so the way I see it, you didn’t stop the scientist, so you gotta stop the science.”

“Stop the science?” Marcus blinked at her. 

“Right! The science! A painter can’t paint without paint.”

Abby closed her eyes. “Jennifer. You’re talking in riddles.”

Jennifer splayed her hands on the table in front of her. “What does Becca use to build A.L.I.E?”

“Her AI suite at the lab,” said Marcus. “We saw it this afternoon.”

“Right! So we take it out of the equation. Remove it from the picture.  _ Erase it from the timeline.” _

_ “ _ How do we do that?” 

“We make it go  _ boom! _ ” Jennifer whispered, her eyes shining. 

Marcus stared at her. “You mean, blow it up? No! Someone could get hurt.”

“No, Marcus, it’s brilliant.” Abby got up and began to pace excitedly. “No one has to get hurt. We can do it at night when there’s no one there.”

“It’s one little boom,” said Jennifer, “to save seven billion people.”

Marcus shook his head and got up, moving to look out of the window. Abby could see the muscles in his shoulders tensing as he weighed up their options. Finally he turned back to them.

“But where would we even find a bomb? We’re not terrorists, you know.“

“No,” said Abby, with a glint in her eye. “But we know someone who is.”

Marcus’s expression was unreadable, and then he huffed a bitter laugh. “Abby, you can’t be serious.”

“I am.”

Jennifer tutted in exasperation. “Guys! Now you two are talking in riddles. What the hell are you talking about?”

In response Abby pushed Jennifer’s data pad across the table towards her.

“Jennifer, I need you to look someone up for me. Her name is Charmaine Diyoza.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	13. Diyoza

_ 30th May 2045 _

 

_ Marcus _

 

Marcus slouched down lower in the back of the car and looked at his watch for the fifteenth time in as many minutes. He had been here for an hour and a half already, and he was bored and hot. It had been a beautiful warm spring day and the car was like an oven in the sun. Sweat trickled uncomfortably down his back and he unzipped his hoodie.

The reason he was hiding in Charmaine Diyoza’s car was that the only trace Jennifer had been able to find of her was this moment in May 2045, when Diyoza had been treated at the ER in Philadelphia. She had subsequently disappeared off the map so this was their only chance to make contact with her. His first idea had been to splinter back and bring her back to 2047 with him but Jennifer had pointed out that exposing the time travel technology to a terrorist organisation might not be the  _ best  _ idea. She’d suggested asking Diyoza to come to meet them in New York in 2047, but not at the Emerson, to avoid any connection to Jennifer and Markridge.

He shrunk down even lower, clutching his backpack with the splinter vest closer to him, as a woman walking her dog passed uncomfortably close to the car window. He couldn’t believe he’d actually been persuaded to go through with this mad plan, but Jennifer and Abby together made a formidable team. He and Abby had argued about it long into the night after Jennifer had left, but if there was one thing he should know about Abby Griffin by now, it was that when she set her heart on something, she was unstoppable. That, and the woman had an answer for  _ everything _ . Every argument he’d thrown at her she had deftly deflected, until he realised that he had nothing left to throw, and she had won.

It was ironic that the one argument he’d been sure would convince her that this was a bad idea had been the one that had allowed her to convince him that it wasn’t, in fact, a bad idea. He’d gently reminded her that Diyoza had  _ tortured _ Clarke, and Raven and Murphy, but Abby had simply shaken her head at him with an almost pitying expression on her face.

“Don’t you see, Marcus?” she had said softly. “This is the only way to make sure that she never gets a chance to torture Clarke. If we stop the apocalypse, they won’t even meet.”

He couldn’t argue with that, so he’d said said nothing, and they’d gone to bed and had amazing sex, because arguing with Abby always made him horny as hell. He found her incredibly sexy when she was inflamed. It always reminded him of their fights on the Ark. The way her eyes flashed and her breasts rose and fell made him want to push her up against the wall and kiss her senseless. He felt an uncomfortable tightness in his trousers and he shifted position to ease the pressure, forcing himself to concentrate on the mission at hand.

Which at this point was just an interminable wait.  And during interminable waits, how could he stop himself thinking of Abby last night, naked and beautiful above him, her eyes closed in ecstasy and her soft sighs sending him closer and closer to the edge.

He was finally roused from his fantasy by the sound of footsteps and a deep, smooth voice talking into a cell phone. He peered out of the window and saw a tall woman heading towards the car, her head bent in concentration as talked into her phone. She was holding the cell phone with her left hand while her right hand searched in her bag for her car remote. 

When she reached the car she opened the door and threw her bag onto the passenger seat before getting in. She was still talking on the phone as she clicked the ignition button. 

“I’ll be in touch over the next few days,” she said into the phone. “Let me know if anything changes.” As she spoke, her eyes drifted to the rear view mirror, and there was a deathly silence as their eyes met. “Son of a bitch,” she whispered, as Marcus reached out and knocked the phone out of her hand. It landed with a clatter under the passenger seat. 

“I’m not going to hurt you, I just need to talk to you,” he said calmly, holding his hands up to show her he was unarmed. He could hear the person she had been talking to calling her name from the phone under the seat. “Put the car in gear and drive.” 

“Like hell I will!” She made to open the door, but he grabbed her from behind, his arm across her chest. The woman walking her dog was on her way back again and for a split second her eyes met his before they fell to his arm around Diyoza’s neck.  _ Shit. _

“Please just put the car in gear,” he repeated, removing his arm.

“Okay, okay. Just keep your hands off me.” Diyoza did as he said, but as soon as they were moving she glanced over her shoulder at him.

“What the hell do you want from me? I don’t have any money. Is it money you want?”

“I just want to talk to you. Keep driving,” he said, his voice showing a confidence he didn’t feel.

“You want to talk?” she sneered. “Who are you? And how do you know who I am?” 

Marcus couldn’t help but admire this woman whose gaze met his steadily in the mirror. She wasn’t even slightly afraid of him.

“My name is Marcus Kane,” he said. “And I know exactly who you are. Charmaine Diyoza, ex-navy seal. You defected to join the NLA.”

She raised an eyebrow at him in the mirror. “That’s a pretty bold accusation to make to someone you’ve just met, Mr Kane.”

Flashing blue lights behind them interrupted his thoughts before he could answer. “Fuck!” He slid down in the back seat, trying to disappear from view.

“What the hell do they want?” Diyoza floored the gas, and the car sped off, dodging in and out of the traffic. Marcus clung on for dear life as Diyoza overtook a truck and then swerved down a side street, the car skidding into some trash cans before coming to a halt sideways across the road. He pulled himself up in time to see the police car carrying straight on down the main road, lights still flashing.

“Nice driving,” he said when he’d got his breath back. 

“Thanks.” She maneuvered the car into a space and switched the engine off. “Now if you don’t mind, I’m getting the hell out of here.” She opened the car door and got out, and he scrambled out after her. 

“Diyoza, wait! I said I needed to talk to you.” He took a step towards her, and she stopped and turned to face him. She stood her ground, looking him levelly in the eye. He swallowed nervously. “I need your help.”

“You need my  _ help?”  _  She folded her arms.

“Please, just hear me out. Is there somewhere we can talk?”

She stared at him for a long time, taking her measure of him, noting his swollen eye and lip. Finally she gave a curt nod. “This way.” 

She walked a little way up the road and pushed at a rusty door, which creaked open. He followed her inside, peering into the dim light. The building was abandoned, and was full of what looked like junk furniture and boxes. Dust hung in the air, and there was a scuttling sound of rats or mice as they entered. 

He was not prepared for what happened next. The room seemed to turn upside down as his legs were knocked from under him and strong hands grasped his arm to flip him swiftly onto his back. He hit the ground with a thud, the wind knocked out of him as his head struck the stone floor. In a flash she was on top of him, her legs straddling him, and he felt the cold steel blade of a knife pressed to his throat. 

“May I suggest, Mr Kane,” she purred, “that the next time you want to talk to someone, you don’t ambush innocent women in their car?”

“You’re no innocent, Diyoza,” he hissed, flinching as the blade pressed further into his skin. 

“You have no proof I’m connected to the NLA.”

“If you were innocent, you wouldn’t have fled from the police. You didn’t want to be caught any more than I did. I’m betting there’s more than groceries and a gym bag in the trunk of your car, right?”

There was a pause, and then she huffed a laugh. “You’re not so stupid after all.” 

They stared at each other for a minute, Marcus hardly daring to breathe for fear the knife would slip into his throat.

“Since we have established I’m a terrorist, and you need my help, I can only assume that your own intentions are not exactly honourable.”

“I can assure you, they are,” he said, but her mouth just lifted in a disbelieving sneer and she pressed the knife harder against his skin.

“I need you to help me destroy a laboratory,” he gasped, “where they are building an AI that is going to wipe out humanity.”

The pressure of the knife eased on his throat, and he breathed deeply. 

“Diyoza, I need you to help me save the world.”

  
  


………………….

  
  


Diyoza sat on an upturned barrel and placed two glasses on the rickety table in front of her. She filled each of them with tequila from a bottle she had retrieved from a cupboard near the window and pushed one across the table to Marcus, who was sitting on a three legged stool covered in paint. He watched as she downed the tequila in one and poured herself another. She looked at his glass, untouched on the table.

“What? Don’t you like tequila?” 

“I don’t know,” he said. “I’ve never had it.” He picked the glass up and downed it like she had, but the liquid burned his throat and made him cough. He frowned in distaste. 

“So, tell me about this AI,” said Diyoza when she had emptied her glass a second time. 

“It’s part of the A.L.I.E project,” he began, “designed to solve major problems of the world today. Poverty. War. Food shortages. That sort of thing.”

“Doesn’t sound like much of a threat to me.” Her voice was velvety, her expression sceptical. 

“Unfortunately, it will decide that all of these problems are the result of overpopulation. Too many people. And its solution will be to hack the nuclear codes of every country on the planet. Hundreds of nuclear missiles will be detonated at the same time, wiping out all but a handful of people who will spend their lives fighting for survival.”

“Will?”

“I’m sorry?

“You said will. You’re talking about he future. How do you know this is going to happen?”

“I can’t tell you that.”

“Well, I’m going to need more information than that, Kane.”

“Diyoza, I know you’re fighting this fascist government. You have a dream of a better world, one not ruled by power-hungry politicians and morally corrupt businessmen. But believe me, this AI is a far more immediate threat to civilisation.” He stopped to take a deep breath. “There’s no point fighting for a better world if there’s no world left to fight for. We have concrete evidence that this is going to happen.” 

Diyoza didn’t miss a trick. “We?”

“My wife, Abby, and I,” he answered with a small smile, thinking of Abby’s words in Central Park, when they’d been imagining their lives in 2047.  _ We’d be married, right? _

Diyoza leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees, her hands falling loosely in front of her.  “Tell me, Kane,” she said, tilting her head on one side and looking at him with her piercing blue eyes. “Would  _ you  _ believe you? You ambush me in my car, you panic when the police are onto us, you’ve obviously been in some kind of fight. You don’t exactly inspire confidence.”

There was a silence as he reflected upon her words. “I’m desperate,” he said quietly. “Do you think I’d be asking a terrorist group for help if I wasn’t? I’ve seen - “  He paused, choosing his words carefully so as not to give too much information. “I’ve seen what people are prepared to do, the horrors they inflict upon other human beings, in the name of survival. There’s no coming back from it.”

His words seemed to have reached her, and as he looked her in the eyes he thought maybe she’d seen a little of that darkness too, that she’d peered over the edge into the abyss of hell and fought to stay in the light. Encouraged, he went on.

“We don’t need to do anything yet. It’s too early, they haven’t started the AI yet. We need to wait a couple of years, until it’s well underway, and then we destroy it. I need-“

He was interrupted by a banging on the door they’d come through, which Diyoza had had the foresight to lock behind them. 

“Police! Open up!” shouted a voice, and Diyoza jumped up, overturning the table with the glasses and tequila bottle, which smashed on the floor.

“Quick, this way!” She ran towards another door and, pushing it open, galloped up the stairs on the other side, Marcus hot on her heels. She led him through another room and then out onto a fire escape on the opposite side of the building. His heart was pounding in his chest as they ran down the fire escape and then hid behind a dumpster in the alleyway below. 

“Diyoza,” he panted. “Please, just come to the Hotel Philadelphia in New York. Two years from today. Promise me.” 

Diyoza nodded silently, and relief flooded through him. She believed him.

“You don’t have to do anything for two years,” he said. He peered out from behind the dumpster. “Hotel Philadelphia,” he repeated. “Two years from today. I’ll see you then.”

He stood up to leave, needing to get out of sight to splinter back, but at that moment gunshots rained down on him from the end of the road. He caught a quick view of two police officers running towards him before a searing pain in his shoulder made him collapse behind the dumpster again. He clutched his shoulder, feeling the warm wetness oozing between his fingers.

“Kane! You’ve been hit!”

“It’s okay. It’s only a surface wound. Abby’s a doctor. She’ll fix it.” He closed his eyes as the pain threatened to consume him, but he forced himself to open them again. He’d survived worse than this, goddammit. 

“Diyoza, run!” he urged her, hearing the footsteps drawing closer. He needed her to get herself to safety. “I’ll see you in two years.  _ Go.” _

Diyoza nodded, and he watched her dodge behind some cars, crouching down low, before disappearing down some steps into a basement. He fumbled awkwardly with the strap of the backpack using the hand that wasn’t holding his shoulder and managed to get the splinter vest out and over his head. The footsteps of the police officers were upon him but they hadn’t yet seen him behind the dumpster. He pulled the straps tight and hit the splinter button, just as the cops rounded the corner.

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is based on the scene in the pilot of 12 Monkeys where Cole travels back to 2013 and waits for Cassie in her car. I hope it wasn't too out of character for Kane but there's not much fun in writing him politely inviting Diyoza for a coffee!


	14. The Philadelphia

_May 2047_

 

_Abby_

 

Marcus had been gone for three hours now and Abby was beginning to panic. The plan had been, as always, to splinter back to the moment he’d left, so that for her he wouldn’t have been gone at all, so his absence was worrying. Jennifer reassured her that the splinter vest wasn’t always accurate, and could be out by a few hours or even days, but the more time passed, the more Abby was convinced that something terrible had happened.

She spent the afternoon prowling up and down the living room, her hands worrying her hair into a mass of knots, alternating between berating herself for not going with him and calling Jennifer, begging her to give her the other splinter vest so that she could go and find him.

“Abby, you don’t even know where to look,” Jennifer told her. “You can’t just go jumping around the timeline yelling out his name! I’m sure he’s fine. He’ll find a way to get back here. If he’s not back by midnight call me, and I’ll start searching for traces of him. And don’t panic! Remember, death can be undone. We just go back and stop it happening.”

Abby had to content herself with that, but the waiting was torture. She longed to ease the churning fear inside her with the sweet oblivion of more pills, but she resisted. She had to be functioning when he got back, not passed out on the bed.

Finally, seven hours after he’d left, when Abby had worn a bare patch in the carpet from pacing up and down, there was a knock at the door. She rushed to open it and Marcus half walked, half fell into the room.

“Oh my God Marcus!” She caught him as well as she could, her small frame buckling under his weight, and helped him to the sofa. Her eyes fell to his shoulder, where his jacket was stained with blood. Her hand flew to her mouth and she choked back a sob.

“Marcus! What happened?” She prised his fingers away from his shoulder and he groaned at the pain.

“I got shot,” he said, his voice raspy with pain. “It’s not serious. Just a graze.”

“Let me be the judge of that. Come on, I need to get these clothes off you.” She went to fetch her medical bag and proceeded to cut his sweater carefully off him, exposing the wound on his shoulder. It was in fact not much more than a graze, but it was bleeding profusely. She cleaned the blood and then fetched her medical bag to medicate and dress the wound.

“What happened?” she asked as she worked. “Who shot you?” Her eyes searched his face for answers. “Was it Diyoza?”

“The police,” he told her. “They chased us, but she got away and I splintered back, only in the rush I didn’t see that the coordinates weren’t quite right. I arrived in the room upstairs.” He gave a shaky laugh. “Luckily it was empty.”

Abby shook her head in dismay, trying not to let the tears she felt in her throat reach her eyes. “You could have been caught. You could have been killed. You’re seven hours late. I was worried out of my mind.”

His brow creased in surprise. “Seven hours? Oh God Abby, I’m so sorry. I had no idea.” His eyes were so full of remorse at the worry he’d caused her that her heart melted and she leaned forward to kiss him, the feel of his lips on hers chasing the tension from her body.

“No more time travelling without me,” she murmured when they broke apart. “You nearly did get lost in time.”

“Okay,” he agreed softly. It had been his idea to go alone, not wanting to put her in danger, but the alternative was just as risky. “I’ll never leave you again.”

Their lips met again in soft kisses of promise and she gave a sigh which was both relief and exhaustion.

“Let’s go to bed,” she said. “You can fill me in on Diyoza in the morning.”

 

…………………

  


Two weeks later Abby and Marcus sat in the bar of Hotel Philadelphia, an enormous but rather shabby hotel on 7th Avenue. Abby was sipping an orange juice but Marcus had ordered one of the whisky sours he’d developed a fondness for. Life in the twenty-first century suited him, Abby thought with a pang. She watched him as he looked around, his dark brown eyes drinking everything in in delight. The bruising around his eye had gone and his shoulder was healing well.

They had no idea what time Diyoza was going to arrive so they sat and waited, watching the world go by through the full sized windows looking out onto the busy New York street. Abby usually loved people watching but today she felt jittery. She had no idea what Diyoza looked like so she watched every woman who entered the hotel lobby, constantly checking Marcus’s face for signs of recognition.

They had been there three hours, and were beginning to think she wasn’t coming, when a waiter approached them with a cell phone on a tray. Abby and Marcus looked at each other doubtfully before Marcus picked it up. Abby half expected the thing to explode in his hands, but no sooner had the waiter left than the phone started ringing. Marcus slid his finger across the screen to answer the call and put the phone to her ear, and Abby put her head close to his so that she could follow the conversation too.

“Hello?” Marcus asked cautiously. “Diyoza, is that you?”

“You have a gun pointed at your head as we speak,” said a woman’s deep voice, and Abby whipped her head around, trying to see who was pointing a gun at them. The lobby seemed perfectly normal, though; a couple opposite them, a group of women clearly meeting for an after work aperitif, and a group of businessmen relaxing after a meeting. No one was taking the slightest bit of notice of her and Marcus. "Smile at the man in the blue t-shirt at the bar."

Abby turned slowly to look at the young man seated on one of the bar stools. He had a sweater on his lap, and from under the sweater she could see the tip of the barrel of a gun. The man smiled and nodded at her, making ice form in her veins. When she turned to Marcus, the shock on his face matched hers. “I need your wife to come up to room six thirteen,” went on Diyoza. “Alone. If anyone else comes, you die.”

“Diyoza, this isn’t a trap!” said Marcus in exasperation. “Why would I have waited two years if it was?”

“Just tell your wife to walk to the elevator, and come up to the sixth floor. Tell her to keep her hands by her sides. Keep the phone with you. I’ll be in touch.” And with that the phone went dead.

Marcus looked at Abby, confusion clouding his eyes. “Why is she doing this? Abby - you can’t go alone. We don’t know what she wants.”

Abby swallowed. What choice did she have? It was understandable that Diyoza suspected a trap if she’d been on the run for two years. “She won’t hurt me, not once she sees it’s not a trap.”

“Abby, the woman’s dangerous! God knows how many people she’s killed!” he whispered furiously at her. “I’m not letting you go alone!”

“So what, you let someone shoot you in the head?” Abby’s eyes flitted nervously towards the bar. “We have to trust her, Marcus.”

“Trust her?!” he sneered. “She’s a terrorist!”

Abby stood up but he grabbed her arm in desperation. “Abby!”  She flinched at the anger in his voice, but didn’t back down.

“Marcus, I’m going. If you move, you die. Let me go.” She bent to kiss him softly on the lips. “I love you,” she whispered. “But we have to do this.”

She turned and walked across the lobby to the elevators, her hands by her sides and her head held high, looking straight ahead. She felt Marcus’s eyes boring into her back but she didn’t look back for fear that her resolve would crumble.

She got into the elevator alone and pressed the button for the sixth floor. The elevator went straight to the sixth floor and Abby stepped out, her heart hammering in her chest. She looked up and down the corridor, searching for room thirteen. Seeing the rooms numbered to the right she set off in that direction, her legs turning to jelly with every step. The corridor was dank and musty, and the yellow wallpaper was peeling away from the wall. Dust balls gathered on the stained carpet. Abby shivered and glanced over her shoulder. It didn’t seem like anyone was following her but she followed Diyoza’s instructions anyway, keeping her hands down by her sides.

When she reached room six thirteen she lifted her hand to knock but the door opened before she had the chance and she stepped into the darkened room. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light she made out a figure lying on the bed. Groans of pain filled the room, and she made out a towel soaked with blood wrapped around the person’s neck.

“Abby,” said a deep smooth voice, and Abby finally turned her head to look at Charmaine Diyoza, the person who had opened the door for her. Diyoza was a good two inches taller than her, with startling blue eyes that were appraising her with interest. “Thank you for coming. You’re a brave woman.”

“What’s going on?” Abby asked sharply. “Why is Marcus downstairs with a gun pointed to his head? This isn’t a trap. We wouldn’t trap you when we need your help.”

Diyoza smiled at Abby’s words. “We had to take precautions. And first, I need _your_ help.” She looked towards the man on the bed and Abby followed her gaze.

“What happened to your friend?” she asked.

“He’s not my friend. He’s an - associate. He was hit by a piece of glass in the neck in an accident, and unless he gets to a doctor, the son of a bitch is going to die on me. I don’t need his blood on my hands right now. That could cause me a lot of problems.”

Abby took in the man on the bed, about the same age as her, with hair shaved on one side and flopping over his face on the other. He groaned again and opened his eyes. 

“Can you get the glass out and stitch him up?” Diyoza asked.

“I - don’t have my medical bag,” said Abby weakly, but Diyoza waved her hand, dismissing her protests.

“We have all the equipment. We just need a doctor. Can you do it?”

In response Abby approached the bed and looked down at the man. He was conscious but had clearly lost a lot of blood. She removed the towel and saw the shard of glass lodged in his neck. Luckily it had just missed his jugular. Two millimetres closer and he’d be dead by now. The risk was taking the glass out without severing the vein.

The man opened his eyes and looked at her with small cold eyes. “So,” he said hoarsely. “Can you save me?”

Abby glanced back at Diyoza before meeting his gaze again. “I’m not sure. Should I save you?”

Diyoza let out a low chuckle. “You save McCreary, and I’ll get you your bomb. Let’s call it a business deal.”

Abby moved closer to the other woman, her eyes narrowing. “You want me to save one man in return for helping us save the world? Doesn’t sound like a very even exchange to me,” said Abby scathingly.

“You clearly get the better deal,” said Diyoza with a false sweetness in her smile.

“No,” said Abby in a hushed whisper so that McCreary wouldn't hear. “We _all_ do. We save the world, we save _everybody._ I can’t believe even someone like you would consider using that as a bargaining tool.” She stared defiantly up at the taller woman, who raised her hands in surrender.

“Abby. I don’t see what the problem is. I imagine this is a relatively minor intervention for a doctor like you.”

“The problem,” Abby said “is that you are holding the whole world to ransom for this criminal.”

Diyoza shook her head. “No. I’m holding Kane to ransom for this criminal.” She smiled. “I’ll help you destroy the AI. But if you could help me deal with this small problem first, I’d be grateful.”

Abby nodded, satisfied with this admission, which clearly gave her the upper hand. She chewed on her bottom lip. “Alright. I’ll save him. But first I want you to tell Marcus that I’m safe. He must be worried sick about me.”

Diyoza nodded. “Okay. You can call him and tell him yourself.” She passed Abby the phone and she put it to her ear.

Marcus answered immediately and she could hear the panic in his voice. “Abby! Are you okay? Did she hurt you?”

“I’m fine,” she reassured him. “I just need to help Diyoza with something. Then you can come up.” She looked at Diyoza for confirmation and the other woman nodded. She purposefully didn’t mention McCreary, remembering Raven’s description of him as a psychopath and not wanting to worry Marcus any more.

“You have to stay where you are,” she went on. “Everything’s fine. Don’t move till I call you again.” She closed her eyes as she whispered “I love you.” She ended the call and turned back to Diyoza, who was studying her look in her eyes.

“Shall we get to work?” she asked, immediately snapping into doctor mode. She just wanted to get this over and done with. She rolled up her sleeves and washed her hands and arms and Diyoza opened the bag with the equipment in.

It took her three quarters of an hour to remove the glass and stitch McCreary up. She removed the glass carefully, being careful not to touch the jugular. It was fortunate they hadn’t tried to pull the shard out themselves. She had to pull it out at the right angle, slightly upwards and back towards his ear, in order to miss the vein completely. She stitched the wound, Diyoza silently passing her everything she needed, and then she dressed it neatly. When she had finished Diyoza looked at her work with admiration.

“Nice work,” she said with a smile and Abby saw a hint of genuine warmth in her eyes. She smiled back despite herself.

“Thank you. Now, please tell Marcus to come up.”

Diyoza picked up the phone and spoke into it, her eyes never leaving Abby’s face. “You can come up now, Kane,” she said. “Alone.” She turned to McCreary.

“Okay McCreary. We’re even. I saved your life, now you keep your end of the deal. I never want to lay eyes on you again.”

McCreary got up slowly, and his mouth twisted into a bitter smile at her words. His fingers moved to touch the wound on his neck.

“Thank you, doc,” he said with a drawl, his eyes roaming over her in a way that made Abby’s skin crawl. “Anytime I can repay the favour…” His words hung in the air and Abby shuddered at their implication. “And Diyoza, if I never see you again, it’ll be too soon.”

He opened the door to leave, and came face to face with Marcus on the other side. The two men looked each other up and down warily as they stepped past each other, Marcus into the room and McCreary out into the corridor. Once he was in the room, Marcus’s eyes immediately found Abby, and he went quickly to her, his eyes searching for signs of harm.

“Abby! Are you okay? What’s all this blood?” The colour drained from his face as he took in Abby’s bloody hands and the towels covered in blood on the bed. He rounded on Diyoza.

“What did you do to her? Did you torture her?”

Diyoza laughed bitterly. “Torture her? Why would I do that? I look after my friends, Kane. I just needed your wife’s medical skills to help me out of a tricky situation.”

Abby’s eyes snapped to Marcus’s face. _Wife?_ She hid her smile but her happiness rippled through her. “Marcus, I’m fine,” she reassured him, her hand on his arm. She could see the vein in his neck pulsing with stress, and she knew how hard it had been for him to wait downstairs, not knowing what was happening. Her hand caressed his arm again and he took her in his arms, folding her into him.

“I was so worried,” he whispered into her hair, and she wrapped her arms round him, trying to reassure him with her whole body.

Diyoza gave a small cough, and Marcus released Abby although he kept one arm tightly round her. He turned to Diyoza.

“Diyoza, I’m sorry for doubting you. But your methods are - extreme.”

Her expression softened as she looked from one to the other. “As I told Abby, I had to take precautions. But we’re going to have to trust each other if we’re going to destroy this AI.” She moved to sit at the small table and indicated for them to do the same. “Now, let’s talk about that.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	15. The Last Morning

 

_Marcus_

 

Using their knowledge of Becca’s lab they planned everything down to the last detail, and Diyoza promised to be in touch the following day to confirm the time and place to meet once she had sorted out her side of the arrangement.  Sure enough on Tuesday afternoon a message arrived at the Emerson for Marcus with the words “Brighton Beach, midnight Wednesday.”

When Marcus woke up on Wednesday morning a storm was raging in the sky above Manhattan. He lay still for a moment, listening to the rain lashing against the window panes and wondering if they were going to withstand the force. In the short time they’d lived on the surface in the future they’d experienced a few storms like this, with only the remnants of the Ark for protection. Here they were protected by brick and cement buildings but the thought didn’t give him a lot of reassurance.

He turned over to give Abby his usual good morning kiss and was surprised to find her side of the bed cold and empty. He blinked in the dim early morning light, and noticed the bedroom door was open. He wondered what she was doing but he was too warm and comfortable to move so he hoped she’d come back to bed quickly. When the minutes passed and she didn’t, a surge of panic shot through him. Had something happened? Had they inadvertently changed the timeline and erased her from history? He knew it was was entirely possible and the thought caused bile to rise in his throat. Heart hammering, he got up and went into the living area.

As he entered the still dark room lightning flashed in the sky, illuminating the whole room, and relief flooded through him as he made out Abby’s silhouette standing by the window, a glass of water in her hand. Her hair was cascading loosely down her back and she was wearing the short silk negligee she had bought with Jennifer a few days before. The way the lightning made the smooth bare skin of her arms and legs shine in the grey light took his breath away. She looked like a goddess, commanding the storm to rage against the city. He padded silently across the room and slid his arms around her waist.

He must have taken her by surprise because she jumped a little at his touch but then relaxed back against him with a small hmmm of pleasure. They watched as the Manhattan skyline appeared before them again, like a cardboard cutout against the brilliant white sky.

“Do you remember watching the storms from the Ark?” she said, her voice still husky with sleep. “We had no idea of the force of them down here.”

“We couldn’t imagine the violence of the rain and the thunder,” he agreed. “All we saw was the lightning.”

“The lightning is the most beautiful part,” she said wistfully. “I don’t care too much for the thunder.” She shivered slightly and he wrapped his arms more tightly around her.

“Come back to bed,” he murmured, kissing her head. “This is our last morning.” He took the glass of water from her hand and placed it on the table, and she turned in his arms, winding her arms around his neck. He kissed her softly once, twice, but when the kisses threatened to get heated he took her hand and led her back to the bedroom.

“I’m cold,” she muttered as she snuggled against his chest and he smiled.

“I’m sure I can think of a way to warm you up.” His hands roamed over the cool skin of her arms, his thumbs brushing against her breasts and making her quiver with pleasure. She reached up to kiss him, her tongue seeking entrance and he yielded gladly, deepening the kiss. He would never tire of the feel of her in his arms, her breasts against his chest and her tongue exploring his mouth. She was like a drug to him, and he needed her with every fibre of his body and soul.

His hands moved under the silk negligee and into her panties, smiling into the kiss as he felt her opening her legs to allow him access. As his fingers slipped between her folds a shock shook her body and she moaned softly. He stroked her clit gently, and she twisted her hands into his hair, their kisses becoming a hot mess of tongues and teeth and sighs. He slid two fingers inside her and she gasped, her head tilting back as he hit the spot she loved.

“Come for me, Abby,” he murmured, his lips against her temple, and she did, her body convulsing as pleasure rocketed through her, her cries drowned out by the thunder crashing above them. When she came down she opened her eyes and smiled at him dazedly, and he thought again how she never looked more beautiful than in these moments, completely undone and almost _shocked_ by what he was able to do to her even after all this time.

“Warmer?” he asked with a grin, and she nodded breathlessly.

“Much. Thank you.”

He laughed at her formality and leaned to place a soft kiss on her nose, and she took advantage to pull him on top of her, settling him between her open legs. Reaching down, she slid his boxers down over his hips and his eyes fluttered shut as her hand closed around him.

“Make love to me,” she whispered, guiding him into her, and he slid inside her effortlessly. She felt incredible around him and as he began to move she closed her eyes in bliss.

Suddenly her eyes shot open. “Did you tell Diyoza I was your wife?” she asked in an amused voice as he thrust into her.

“I might have,” he said bashfully, slowing slightly. “Do you mind?”

“I liked it.” She pulled him in closer, wrapping her legs around him and he let out a soft moan as she tensed around him. He buried his face in her neck, kissing her skin and eliciting soft sighs from her.

Turning her head, she captured his mouth in a heated kiss until they were for gasping for air.

“We should do it,” she said breathlessly when they broke apart.

“Do what?”

“Get married.”

Her words took a moment to register through the haze of pleasurable sensations flooding his body.

“Are you proposing to me,” he asked, “while I’m fucking you?”

“Do you want me to get down on one knee?”

“At this precise moment, I’d prefer you on two knees,” he said and she laughed her beautiful throaty laugh which made him even harder inside her. He kissed her throat, trying to capture her laugh and it quickly turned into breathy moans in his ear.

“You’re incredible,” he whispered, picking up speed, and he was rewarded with a small cry from her lips which sent a ripple of pleasure shooting through him.

“I know,” she breathed, her eyes locking with his and he groaned. He rested his forehead against hers and she clutched at his hair, their breaths coming in ragged gasps as their pleasure built.

They came together, explosively, their cries ripped from their throats by the force of their respective climaxes. He stilled on top of her till the waves of pleasure receded and then collapsed next to her, holding her close as she lay breathless in his arms. He could feel her heart pounding in her chest.

“Wow,” he said. “That was amazing.” He kissed her. “You are amazing.”

She laughed. “Our last Big Bang,” she said. “Before we erase ourselves from existence.”

Her words were like a knife in his gut after his earlier panic and his euphoria vanished in a flash. “Don’t say that,” he said thickly, pulling her closer to him. “That’s not going to happen.” He hugged her to him like he was trying to make her body become one with his, as if making her part of him would stop fate ever separating them. He squeezed his eyes closed, partly to chase away the thought, partly to stop the tears which threatened to fall.

They fell anyway and she looked up in surprise as she felt the wetness on her face.

“Marcus…” She wiped away his tears with her thumb. “Oh Marcus.”

He saw his sadness reflected in her own eyes and cursed himself for putting it there. He opened his mouth to make amends but she spoke first, her voice shaky with emotion.

“It’s not too late to change our minds. We can call Diyoza, cancel everything. Go back to twenty-one fifty-six and take our chances against her and Octavia.”

“I’d never be able to live with myself,” he mumbled with his eyes closed. “Knowing we could have saved humanity and didn’t.”

“We already have enough blood on our hands,” she whispered. “We don’t need the blood of the entire human race too. This is our chance to put right every wrong we’ve ever done. The culling, Mount Weather. The grounder army, the City of Light victims. The second culling.The fighting pits.”

The memories flashed through his mind, like a silent movie reel, scene after scene of death and violence, his guilt weighing more heavily with every life lost. She was right, he knew she was, but - “Why does it feel like we can save each other, or we can save the world?”

“We already saved each other, Marcus.” Her tears were flowing now too. “So many times.”

“I love you,” he moaned softly against her forehead. “I love you so much.”

“Then marry me,” she whispered urgently, her hands on his face. “Make me your wife. Today.”

“Okay.” He smiled at her determination, happiness flooding through him. “Okay. Let’s do it. And let fate take its chances with Mr and Mrs Kane.”

  
  
  
  
  



	16. The Wedding

 

_Abby_

 

Their stomachs were growling with hunger by the time they finally dragged themselves out of bed so they ordered absolutely everything on the breakfast menu from room service and devoured it like it was their last meal. Abby tried hard not to think about the fact that it very well might be. Getting up from the table, she took her coffee to the sofa. Marcus joined her and she snuggled up to him.

“Do you think it will be possible to get married? I mean, we don’t actually exist here,” she said with a frown as she sipped her coffee.

Marcus pursed his lips thoughtfully. “I think we should talk to Jennifer. What did you have in mind? Not in a church, surely?”

“No, no,” said Abby hastily. “Something simple. In Central Park maybe? I love it there, it’s so beautiful.”

“Let’s hope it stops raining,” Marcus chuckled as he glanced out of the window. The storm had calmed but the rain was still streaming down the window panes, and the tops of the skyscrapers were hidden in the clouds.

Later that morning, Jennifer came around, a little more subdued than usual. She had a bag with her which she handed to Abby.

“It’s another splinter vest,” she explained. “I thought you’d better have it. We don’t know what’s going to happen once you destroy the AI suite. It’s best you each have your own way to get back to the future.” The words left unsaid echoed their earlier conversation and the three of them looked at each other uncomfortably. Jennifer took a deep breath.

“You do know - ” she began, but they interrupted her before she could finish.

“Yes.”

“And that it’s possible - ”

“Jennifer, we know the risks. But we have to do this.” Marcus’s voice was firm.

Jennifer looked at them both, tears shining in her eyes.

“You are the bravest people I know. Well except for Cassie and Cole. They were pretty brave too.”

“Anybody would do the same,” said Abby. “There’s nothing brave about it.” When Jennifer looked like she was going to cry she went on quickly. “If we don’t - you know, get erased - will we remember everything? How does changing timelines work? Will we remember our lives until now?”

“Yes,” said Jennifer with a small sniff. “The splinter fluid dislodges you from time, rendering you impervious to changes in the timeline. Nobody else will know anything has happened, but when you go back to twenty-one fifty-six you’ll find yourselves suddenly in a new timeline but with memories of the old one.”

“So, the Ark, coming to the ground, the deathwave, the bunker, coming back to twenty forty-seven - we’ll retain all of those memories?” Marcus asked.

“Yes. It might be confusing at first,” said Jennifer.

“Well that’s good to know,” said Abby. “At least we won’t forget each other.” She threaded her arm around Marcus’s waist, and he smiled down at her affectionately.

“There’s something else,” Abby said. “We’d like to get married. Today.”

Jennifer’s tragic expression disappeared from her face, replaced by a huge beaming smile of surprise.

“Oh wow you guys! Really? Congratulations!”  She threw her arms around each of them in an energetic hug, knocking the wind out of them. “This is so exciting! I love weddings!” Her eyes sparkled excitedly, her face the picture of happiness, and Abby and Marcus couldn’t help laughing at her enthusiasm. The three of them grinned at each other stupidly for a moment but then Jennifer’s grin froze and and her eyes narrowed.

“Wait a minute. Wait a minute.” She looked Abby up and down suspiciously. “You’re not pregnant, are you? Because I warned you, you know what happened with Cassie and Cole and their son conceived out of time…”

Abby was scandalised. “Jennifer! I’m not pregnant! We’d just like to get married, but we need your help. We were thinking of something small in Central Park. Do you know someone who can marry us?”

Relief washed over Jennifer’s face and she clapped her hands together in glee. “Of course I do! I’ll take care of _everything!_ Let’s see, you’ll need clothes, and flowers, and rings, and oh! The unicorns! You could ride into Central Park on unicorns!”

They looked at each other in horror. Abby shook her head, too shocked to speak, but Marcus managed to find his voice. “No unicorns, Jennifer,” he said weakly. “We don’t want to draw attention to ourselves.”

“Oh.” Jennifer looked disappointed. “Well if that’s what you prefer.” Her face brightened. “Okay, I’ll be back in a couple of hours with everything.” She hugged them both again and headed to the door. “Clothes, flowers, rings,” she repeated to herself as she opened the door. “Clothes, flowers, rings, unicorns -”

“No unicorns!!” they yelled in unison as the door closed behind her. They looked at each other in dismay.

“Marcus, I swear to God, I love you but I am not marrying you on a unicorn,” Abby began, and he chuckled, calming her rant with his hands on her shoulders and a kiss on her head.

“She won’t do it. I think Jennifer likes to joke,” he said, but Abby looked doubtful. “And it could be worse. She could have us flying in on pterodactyls.”

 

............................

 

The rain finally stopped and the late afternoon sun was breaking through the clouds when they arrived in Central Park. Jennifer had done an amazing job with the clothes, and Abby was wearing a simple cream shift dress with short lace sleeves and a pair of three inch heels which made her long legs look even longer. Her hair was up but a few tendrils curled around her face and in her hands she had a small bouquet of pale pink roses. Butterflies fluttered in her belly and she couldn’t stop smiling. She glanced proudly at Marcus, who was wearing a light grey suit with a crisp white shirt open at the neck which emphasized his tanned skin and dark hair, and when his warm brown eyes met hers her smile widened even more.

Jennifer was waiting for them with her friend, holding a small box and some more flowers. She was grinning from ear to ear and she rushed to give them each a dramatic hug before standing back and appraising them.

“Gorgeous!” she sighed, kissing them both on the cheek, and they blushed happily. The sounds of a string quartet filtered through the park and Abby and Marcus turned in surprise in the direction of the music.

“Jennifer…?” Abby raised an eyebrow but Jennifer just shrugged and smiled with feigned innocence. She had chosen a secluded area surrounded by cherry trees, the pale pink blossoms like splashes of paint against the increasingly blue sky. There was no one else around except for a young man in his twenties engrossed in a book on a bench off to the right. Jennifer introduced them to her friend Joseph, an internet-ordained priest with a humorous face and sparkling eyes.

“Are you ready?” asked Jennifer, her face alight with excitement, and Abby and Marcus nodded happily. Abby wondered if Jennifer herself was married. She’d never mentioned a husband or partner, although Abby had noticed her expression softened when she talked about someone called Deacon. Abby hoped she was happy; she was a good person with an enormous heart and a joy for life which was uncommon in the post-apocalyptic world they’d come from.

The priest cleared his throat and started to speak. “We are here today to witness the marriage of Abigail and Marcus. Marcus, do you have anything to say to Abby?” He beamed at them both and Marcus turned to Abby.

Central Park and Manhattan seemed to fade away as Marcus took her hand in his and her breath caught in her throat as she looked up at him.

“Abby,” he began, and she could see a thousand memories flickering across his handsome face. “Abby, I lived in the dark for so long. Everything was black or white, right or wrong.” His eyes creased as his mouth turned up in a soft smile. “But then you brought light into my life, and I was no longer seeing just black and white, but a million other colours as well. Colours I didn’t even know existed. The world is so much more beautiful with you by my side.” He paused and swallowed. “Whatever the future holds for us, I’m grateful for every second that you have loved me.”

The love shining in his eyes was overwhelming, and she felt tears pricking at her eyelids. He held her hand while she composed herself.

“Marcus, I once loved someone ... and I lost that. I thought I didn’t deserve to love again, to be happy. I was prepared to be alone, but for some reason I will never understand, life gave me a second chance - it gave me you. You are my hope, my strength, my light.”  She struggled for self-control, and lost it. “I love you,” she whispered, her eyes brimming with tears of happiness. She noticed with surprise that a small crowd of passersby had gathered to watch them.

Joseph cleared his throat, and they turned towards him.  “Marcus, do you take Abigail to be your wife, to love and protect, till death parts you?”

Marcus’s eyes didn’t leave hers. “I do.” Jennifer passed him the box and he took out the ring, a simple gold band, and placed it on her finger, and Abby noticed with a small pang that his hand was shaking ever so slightly.

“Abigail, do you take Marcus to be your husband, to love and protect, till death parts you?”

“I do!” Abby hardly let Joseph finish in her haste to respond and the priest smiled. Abby placed the bigger of the rings on Marcus’s finger.

“In that case, I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

Marcus drew her to him, his arm around her waist, and Abby melted into his kiss as the crowd of passersby cheered and clapped. When they broke apart, huge grins on their faces, they turned to face the crowd, both surprised and touched at the attention from the total strangers in the park. Jennifer popped open a bottle of Italian spumante with a bang that sent the birds flying and handed them two long flutes which she filled nearly to the top with the bubbly liquid.

“To Abby and Marcus!” Jennifer cried and the crowd clapped again. They clinked glasses and  this time Abby managed to drink it without the bubbles going up her nose. The spumante was light and pleasantly refreshing and she actually began to enjoy it by the end of the glass.

When they said goodbye to Jennifer and Joseph a little while later she was feeling decidedly light-headed. The feeling was entirely new to her and she revelled in the lightness in her limbs and the sense of total happiness that engulfed her. The crowd had long since dispersed when Marcus took her in his arms with a satisfied sigh.

“So Mrs Kane,” he said, his voice low and husky in her ear. “Would you like to dance?”

Abby hummed in contentment and rested her head on his shoulder, letting him guide her gently to the music. The air grew cooler as the sun sank towards the horizon but they stayed where they were, wrapped in each other’s arms, neither of them wanting this moment to end.

  

..............................

 

The young man on the bench watched the newly married couple swaying to Tchaikovsky’s string quartet, his book abandoned on the seat next to him. They were old enough to be his parents but they were an attractive couple and he couldn’t take his eyes off them. The way they gazed at each other, like there was no one else in the world but them; he could see that it was the sort of love that few people were lucky enough to experience. They seemed so happy yet at the same time there was a sadness about them, as if this was the first and last time they would ever dance in the sunset.

The music was hauntingly beautiful. He wasn’t much of a photographer -  his mind was more mathematical than artistic - but there was something about this couple that appealed to him. He took out his phone, pretending to flick through it, but instead carefully aimed it at the couple, capturing them perfectly silhouetted against the evening sky. He clicked away, and then again as the guy whispered something in his wife’s ear and her whole face lit up as she smiled into his eyes. He clicked again as he kissed her gently, his hand firmly at the base of her back, holding her to him. Satisfied, he swiped through the photos again. They were really beautiful, like something from the last century, simple but artistic. He slipped his phone into his jacket pocket and slung his backpack over his shoulder, and with a last glance at the happy couple, David Walters headed out of the park.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Merced04_11 for her help writing the vows in this chapter, for which she got inspiration from an episode of SVU.


	17. Boom!

_Abby_

 

The magic of the day soon gave way to cold reality when they got back to the hotel, where they reluctantly changed out of their nice clothes and back into their normal clothes. Marcus packed the few things they had, including the splinter vests, into their backpacks while Abby tidied up the room. As she straightened the bed she thought wistfully of the happy moments they’d spent there, making love, talking, reading about the world in 2047. It felt like the last day of a wonderful holiday and tomorrow they would be back to reality, only in their case reality could be oblivion.

Jennifer picked them up at eleven to drive them to Brighton beach. The journey was very different from last time, the sense of foreboding at the task ahead of them rendering even Jennifer speechless for once.  Abby stared out of the window, trying to impress into her brain every sight, every sound of life here in 2047, in an attempt to block out thoughts of what was to come. The night was clear and warm, and a full moon shone like a huge shiny dollar coin in the sky. She didn’t know if this was a good thing or not; they would have preferred the anonymity offered by a cloudy sky but at least it meant they had a clear view of the lab and the island

It was hard to say goodbye to Jennifer. She’d been so good to them and had done so much for them that they grown fond of her. Having her on their side, believing them about the apocalypse, had been an invaluable part of their mission here in 2047.

“Thank you for everything,” Abby whispered to her as they hugged.

“It was nothing,” said Jennifer. “It’s you guys who are doing all the work. What you’re doing, what you are risking - it’s unthinkable. I’m so honoured to have known you both.”

Abby didn’t know what to say to that, and she didn’t trust herself to speak anyway, so she just hugged her again, and then Jennifer hugged Marcus. She broke away abruptly and walked towards the car without looking back, and Abby took Marcus’s hand in hers as they watched her go.

“Ready?” she asked, and he nodded, and they made their way towards the beach.

Diyoza’s men were waiting on the shore with a small boat which they pushed silently into the water when they saw Marcus and Abby approaching. Diyoza herself was waiting in the shadows, a backpack in her arms. _The_ backpack. Abby stared at it, thinking in awe how one small object was going to change history and save the world.

Diyoza nodded when she saw them. “Kane, Abby. You made good time.”

“Diyoza.” Kane nodded in greeting and they shook hands. “Do you have everything?”

“Affirmative,” the ex-navy seal answered. “Come on, we need to get to the island. Abby, you first.”

One of Diyoza’s men held out his hand and helped Abby aboard, and she sat down in the front of the boat as it rocked under her weight.  Marcus climbed in after her and sat down next to her. She was shivering slightly even though the night was warm and she realised it was nerves more than cold, but  once they were out at sea the temperature dropped considerably.

They made good time to the island. There was no one around as they docked on the beach and they all disembarked from the boat. Diyoza’s men immediately pointed their guns into the air, ready to shoot down the drones should they make an appearance, but none did. Luckily for them it seemed that Becca would only install them when she would lock A.L.I.E in the mansion.

They walked through the woods towards the entrance to the lab, the ground was squelchy underfoot after the previous day's rain. When they came out into the opening in front of the lab they fell back into the shadows of the trees. They could see the light on in the guard’s office but apart from that the lab was in darkness. It looked much more eerie at night than in the day time, the tall entrance rising imposingly against the sky. At a safe distance from the guard’s office Diyoza held out her arm to stop them and turned to Abby.

“Okay, Abby. It’s over to you.”

 

………………………….

 

Robert Shaw flicked between the tv channels in his little office outside the laboratory, settling in for another night of watching quiz shows and movies. This had to be one of the cushiest jobs he’d ever had, guarding this laboratory on the island. Nothing ever happened, and he whiled away his nights watching tv and eating snacks. Very well paid it was too.  He wasn’t even sure what the laboratory was for, he just knew that the pretty lady scientist was doing research into altering blood, something about astronauts going up into space for long periods of time, which was a coincidence really, as his youngest son Miles had just got a job with a mining company called Eligius, and would be leaving on a trip in a couple of months.

When he heard a banging on the window of the office, he jumped and spilt his coke all down his crisply ironed shirt.

“What the hell…?”

The banging came again, followed by a woman’s voice.

“Help me! Please! Help me!”

He flung open the window and peered out, coming face to face with a woman - an attractive woman at that, he thought, as his eyes dropped to her cleavage - clearly in a state of agitation.

“Oh thank God! Please Sir, you have to help me! Someone was following me!

He frowned, perplexed. “Ma’am, this island is private property. You shouldn’t even be here now.”

“I don’t even know where I am! I’m on an island? How did I get here?” Her voice was rising to panic pitch.

“Ma’am, please try to calm down. I’ll open the door and you can come in and we’ll call the police or something. Okay? But just stay calm.”

He closed the window with a slam, and pressed the button to open the door.  A second later she rushed inside, and he caught her in his arms just as she fainted, lowering her gently to the floor.

He didn’t register the pain in his thigh until it was too late, and looking down, he saw a syringe sticking out of his trousers. He gaped at the woman in shock before he crashed on top of her unconscious.

 

……….....……………..

 

Using all her strength - the guard was at least two hundred and fifty pounds - Abby pushed him off her and bound his hands behind his back using the rope Diyoza had given her. She leapt to her feet and scanned the console in front of her, looking for the switch to disable the security cameras inside and outside the lab. Once she had done it she pressed the button to open the door for Marcus and Diyoza.

They hurried in and immediately hauled the security guard to his feet by his arms, supporting him on their shoulders with his arms around their necks. Abby felt in his pockets for his security pass for the elevator inside and handed it to Diyoza, before they dragged him out of the office towards the retina scanner at the entrance to the lab. Abby opened his eyes with her fingers to allow them to be scanned. It took a couple of attempts because his eyes kept rolling back in his head but they finally managed it and the door to the lab opened.

“Take him to the beach,” Diyoza barked over her shoulder to her men. “We don’t want any casualties.” The men lifted him between them and they disappeared in the direction of the beach, the security guard’s feet dragging on the ground like a rag doll. There was no retina scanner to open the door from the inside so Diyoza would be able to get out just by pushing the button on the wall.

“Okay, you two wait here. We only have a few minutes before the security company realises the cameras are disabled and sends someone to investigate.” She picked up her backpack. “Do you have the radio?”

Marcus held up his radio in confirmation and she nodded before turning and making her way inside to the elevator, the door closing behind her.

 

………...……………….

 

Diyoza needed to take the elevator down to the lab where Becca’s AI computer suite was located, so she slid the security guard’s pass into the slot and waited for the door to open.

It didn’t. She swiped the card again, her frustration building. She looked at her watch. Thirty seconds had already passed. She couldn’t risk going back outside because the guard was no longer there to open the door. She put the radio to her lips.

“Kane, the elevator door won’t open. I think disabling the security cameras has put it on automatic lockdown.”

Kane’s voice crackled over the radio. “I’ll have to enable the cameras to activate the door. Do you have a torch?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Shine it directly at the security camera so they can’t see you.”

Diyoza looked around in the dark, and, locating the camera behind her, did as he said. “Okay. Do it.”

She swiped the pass again and this time the door opened. She stepped into the elevator and pressed the button to descend, breathing a sigh of relief as she felt the elevator dropping. When it arrived the doors opened and she stepped out into the darkened lab. Hiding her face with her arm she ran to the bank of computers in the centre of the lab, and slid underneath to attach the bomb to the underside of the console. She flicked the switch and the display flashed to life, showing three minutes to detonation. Perfect.  All she had to do was cross the lab and take the elevator back up to Kane and Abby at the entrance. Thirty seconds and she would be outside the building. She’d done this half a dozen times now.

She ran towards the elevator, the radio in her hand.

“Kane! Activate the cameras again so I can get out! I’m on my way!”

“Copy,” came Kane’s voice over the radio.

She reached the door, her heart pounding. With shaking hands she inserted the pass.

Nothing happened.

“KANE!” she yelled into the radio. “Open the goddamn door!!” She swiped again wildly.

There was a silence over the radio.

“I can’t,” he said at last. “They’ve overridden the controls remotely. I can’t get you out.”

“ _What?!_ Kane, I’ve got three minutes till I jump fifty feet in the air and scatter myself all over this island. _Do something!!”_

 

_……......…………….._

 

Outside in the guard’s office, Marcus and Abby looked at each other in horror. Marcus flicked the switch again, but the cameras stayed on and the door to the elevator refused to open. He turned round and flicked every switch on the wall, clearly hoping something - _anything -_ would make a difference.

“Goddammit!” He pounded the desk with his fist, and Abby winced. Why hadn’t they foreseen this? He picked up the radio.  “Diyoza, don’t panic. We’re going to get you out of there.” There was a silence on the other end of the radio. “Diyoza? Are you there?”

“I’m here."

He sighed in relief. “We’re going to get you out.”

There was a long silence, and Marcus was beginning to wonder if she’d heard him. “Diyoza?”

“No.”

Marcus furrowed his brow. “No?”

“The bomb will go off in less than two minutes. Get Abby out of there and get away from the building. Save yourselves.”

“Diyoza, we’re not leaving you here. You can stop the bomb, we’ll do it another time! There has to be another way.”

“Kane, you know as well as I do it’s now or never. The police will be here any minute.” There was a silence, and they could hear her breathing heavily. “ _Go!_ What’s one life, for seven billion?”

Marcus shook his head. This was not the way it was supposed to go. Abby watched him, her heart pounding, as he closed his eyes in despair, but they blinked open in shock a second later as they heard the _zip!_ of a splinter vest over the radio.

“What the…?” He brought the radio to his mouth in disbelief. “Diyoza? _Diyoza?”_

The radio stayed silent, and realisation dawned on his face. Diyoza was no longer there, and there was only one way she could have got out. Abby felt fear pooling in her stomach as she realised what he had to do.

“No… Marcus, no...” She shook her head desperately, unable to get the words out.

“Abby, I don’t have a choice. You heard what I heard. I’ve already done it. I have to splinter into the lab one minute ago and get her out.” He pulled one of the splinter vests out of the backpack and strapped it on. “Take this and run,” he told her, handing her the backpack. “I’ll meet you on the beach.”

She knew he was right. She knew he would never be able to live with himself if he left Diyoza there to die, knowing there was something he could have done to save her.  When he had fastened the vest he took her face in his hands, his thumbs on her cheeks.

“Abby, you were right. We did the right thing. You and I, we saved each other. And now we’re saving the world.” He kissed her tenderly.  “I love you.”

“I love you too.” She choked back a sob. “Hurry, Marcus.”

Time seemed to pass in slow motion, the seconds seeming like minutes as she watched him step away from her and place his hand on the splinter button. He nodded, and an instant later he was gone.

Her heart pounded in her ears and her legs nearly gave way beneath her as she turned and ran out of the office. Clutching the backpack to her chest, she stumbled out into the night air as the building exploded behind her with a deafening roar and a blast that felt like the doors of hell had been opened.  She felt herself being lifted off the ground by the force of the explosion before she crashed back down to earth again, sprawled flat on her front, and everything went black.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	18. Paradox

2055

 

Alpha Station

 

Archie Rimmer whistled as he walked down the corridor of Alpha Station towards the transport ship docking area. He had been an engineer aboard Alpha Station for two years now and in general he enjoyed his job and the challenges maintaining an operational space station involved. He was due to return to Earth for three months the next day, and whilst he was there he hoped to enrol on a specialisation course which could mean promotion for him when he came back up.

That day, he’d been tasked with prepping the transport ship which would take twenty-five people back to earth for the mandatory three month rest period. Although there was gravity on Alpha Station, which eliminated many of the negative side effects of too much time spent in zero G conditions experienced by early astronauts, research had shown that regular three month breaks on earth were highly beneficial.  This was to be his third earth break in two years and Archie was going to take advantage to spend some time with his family at their beach house at the Keys in Florida, soaking up some sun.

Archie had prepped transport ships so many times he could have done it with his eyes closed. He went methodically through the checks, ticking off the boxes on his checksheet, but whether it was complacency or the fact that he couldn’t wait to get off work and spend his last evening aboard with his new girlfriend, that day Archie made his first - and last - mistake. He failed to notice that a sensor was malfunctioning.

And this oversight caused time to come undone.

The sensor was part of the pressure gauge in the transport ship’s pressurisation system. A pressurisation system failure meant that pressure inside the transport ship would quickly fall to that of space, or more precisely zero, a condition incompatible with human survival.

And that is exactly what happened when the transport ship launched the next morning, the flashing light counting down the last seconds of everyone on board. Within minutes people were gasping for air as the oxygen leaked out into the vacuum of space.

The last person to die, the person who watched all twenty-four people around him swell like balloons as the water in their bodies vaporized due to lack of pressure while their tongues boiled in their mouths, was an engineer called David Walters. Perhaps his engineering training had taught him that in situations of zero pressure the worst thing to do was hold your breath, as this would cause your lungs to rupture in your chest, but he managed to survive nearly sixty seconds longer than everybody else before he too slipped into unconsciousness and subsequently death.

When the transport ship landed in Houston, Texas, there were no survivors on board. The twenty-five bodies were solemnly unloaded and carried to the morgue, and were given a state funeral three days later.  David Walters left a young wife, Linda, who also worked on Alpha Station as a junior researcher. The couple had no children.

_Unfortunately, David Walters’ untimely death at the age of twenty-nine effectively erased Abby Griffin from existence. And Abby Griffin being erased from existence caused a monumental paradox, because the transport ship was only returning to Earth in 2055 because Abby Griffin, together with Marcus Kane, had succeeded in destroying A.L.I.E before it could hack the nuclear codes in 2052. Abby Griffin had to exist in order for there to be an Earth for the transport ship to return to._

_A paradox of that nature was enough to cause the very fabric of time itself to unravel._

_As the spacetime continuum destabilised under the weight of the paradox, Fate intervened with a roar which echoed across the millenia. At once the timeline began shifting, self-correcting, hundreds of thousands of scenarios playing out per second as people and places flashed into existence and disappeared without a trace. Whole lives were lived in seconds, and seconds lasted for eternity. Forests turned from green to red and back again. Volcanoes rose from the sea, spewing lava into the void before disappearing beneath the waves, and at the same time glaciers melted and deserts froze. Wars were fought and won, and entire species existed and then didn’t._

_Fate and Time faced each other in an almighty battle, each weaving an intricate dance around the colossal paradox, pushing and pulling, giving and taking, two forces that both complemented and opposed each other united in a common goal; that of saving Abby Griffin, so that she could save humanity._

_When the battle was over, and a million different timelines had been created and abandoned, Time stabilized with a shudder and Fate retreated, bruised and battered, but victorious._


	19. Ghosts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to Veridissima. Thank you Joana for all your support here and on twitter! xxx

_Abby_

  


Abby tried to open her eyes but for some reason her eyelids wouldn’t cooperate.  The ground seemed softer than she expected and she wondered if it was because she had broken all of her bones and it was she who was soft, like a jellyfish stuck on a rock. Gingerly she tried to turn onto her back, but every muscle screamed in agony as it was forced to function. She managed to push herself onto her side and then flopped over onto her back, but suddenly the ground wasn’t there anymore and she felt herself plummeting into a void.

The fall was short-lived before her back hit another ground, this one harder than the first, and her head struck something sharp which made her cry out in pain. She lay where she was, trying to get her breath back and contemplated the two grounds. She wished that her brain would regain control of her eyelids so that she could see where the hell she was. Bringing a hand to her face she was shocked to feel her eyelashes fluttering against her palm.  Her eyes were open, so why couldn’t she see? Had she gone blind? Panic swept through her and she let out a stifled sob before logic took over and she deduced that it was probably just very dark.

She pulled herself to her feet and felt about for the first ground, which she now realised felt like a bed. Where had that come from? Was she in hospital? She tried to think back, but her mind was fogged. She remembered an explosion, an enormous explosion, and then nothing. Blackness. _Think,_ she thought to herself. What was the explosion? Images flashed through her head, like a promo for a cheesy teen sci-fi show.

A boat. An island. A laboratory. A woman. A man.

 _A man_. Panic seized her again. Where was Marcus? Words echoed in her ears. “ _We saved each other. Now we’re saving the world.”_ And a kiss so soft, so tender, like it was the last kiss of man. _“I love you.”_

Her legs buckled under her and she sank down onto the bed. “ _Marcus,”_  she whispered hoarsely. “ _Where are you?_ ”  What had happened to him? She felt around blindly in the dark, hoping to feel his body on the bed next to her, but her fingers found only the cool fluffiness of the duvet. Instinctively she felt for the ring he had placed on her finger but it was gone. She lay down and cried at that, silent sobs wracking her body, until the darkness consumed her again.

She must have slept, because the next time she opened her eyes she could see, for sunlight was flooding into the room from the window. She lifted her head and looked around cautiously, taking in her surroundings. She was indeed on a bed, and next to the bed was a small chest of drawers, which explained where she had banged her head. Her fingers moved to her scalp and she winced as she found a lump the size of an egg.  

The room was pretty, with cream walls and a wooden floor with a soft pale blue rug. There were flowers in a vase on the dressing table, and on the walls were watercolour prints of landscapes; a field of sunflowers, and a lake surrounded by rolling hills. She wondered whose room it was, and why she was in it. The room was devoid of personal belongings except for a grubby backpack on the bed next to her, which she recognised as hers. She stuffed it under the duvet, remembering the splinter vest inside.

There were two doors and she guessed that one led to a bathroom. She decided to take her chances so she climbed off the bed and tiptoed across the room. She opened the first door and was relieved to see that it was a bathroom, gleaming white and clean. She used the toilet and washed her hands and then peered at herself in the mirror, half afraid of what she might see.  Her cheeks were streaked with makeup from crying and she had mud on her forehead so she washed her face and then went back to the bed to contemplate her next move.

She’d barely laid down when there was a knock at the door, and when she didn’t answer the door opened a crack and a face peeped in. A face that Abby hadn’t seen for more than seven years. A beautiful face, with dark almond eyes framed with black wavy hair.

_Callie._

“Hey darling,” she said with a bright smile. “How are you feeling this morning?”

Abby stared at her open-mouthed. This wasn’t possible. Callie was dead. She’d died on the Ark, electrocuted by a short circuit on Mecha Station. Abby had grieved for her, she’d been there when they’d floated her body into space. She must be hallucinating. Maybe it was the bump on her head.

When she didn’t answer, a concerned look crossed Callie’s face. “Abby?” She came to sit on the bed next to her. “Are you okay?”

Abby continued to stare at her, still not believing her eyes. _Callie was here. Callie was alive._ She blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of this information. How did Callie get to 2047? How was this possible?

“Callie,” she said hoarsely. “What - what are you doing here?”

Callie smiled her sweet smile that Abby had loved so much. “Abby, sweetie, I live here. This is my home.” She took Abby’s hand in hers and Abby felt tears welling at her touch.

“Hey, hey,” murmured Callie, pulling her into a sitting position and wrapping her arms around her. Abby clung to her, sobbing into her shoulder, her tears wetting Callie’s t-shirt, while Callie rubbed her back and made calming “sh sh” noises. When she had cried herself out, she took the tissue Callie offered her, and wiped her eyes and nose.

“I thought I’d never see you again,” she whispered, and Callie shook her head in bewilderment.

“What? Abby, what are you talking about?”

“You’re - you were dead,” she stuttered and Callie laughed.

“Abby, I can assure you I’m very alive! It must have been a bad dream.”

“Maybe,” Abby mumbled. “I - I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s going on with me.” She didn’t add that she didn’t know what was going on _full stop_.

“It’s okay. I guess it’s normal to be emotional on a day like today.” Abby wondered what was special about today, but before she could ask, Callie frowned. “Did you sleep in your clothes? You must have had more to drink last night than I thought.”

More to drink? She’d only had the two glasses of Jennifer’s spumante. “I must have just - crashed out,” she said lamely. “Tiredness, I think.”

“Well at least you didn’t have to be carried home like Clarke,” said Callie with a laugh. “She’s going to have one hell of a headache today.”

Abby had stopped listening at her daughter’s name. “ _Clarke’s here?”_ she asked, her heart racing.

“Of course she is.” Callie frowned and touched Abby’s cheek. “Did you bang your head or something? Because you seem really out of it.”

“Yes! Yes, I did.” She felt for the lump again. “I feel a little confused,” she confessed. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything,” Callie answered, taking her hand and interlocking their fingers with a warm smile. “You know that.”

“What day is it today?”

“It’s Saturday,” said Callie at once, but Abby shook her head.

“No, I mean the date. What’s the date today?”

“It’s May fifteenth,” said Callie slowly. “May fifteenth, twenty-one fifty-six. Now, let me go and make you breakfast, and maybe you’ll start to feel better.” She kissed Abby on the head and with one last squeeze of her hand, stood up and left the room.

Alone again, Abby flopped back onto the bed in shock. _Twenty-one fifty-six._ She was back in the future. Or the present, whichever way you wanted to look at it. How the hell had that happened? She hadn’t even been wearing a splinter vest. Her mind drifted to the backpack under the duvet, and she dragged it out. The splinter vest was inside, the lights flashing.

It must have splintered her back when the explosion threw her into the air and she had landed on the ground on top of it.

The enormity of it hit her then. _They had done it._ They had changed history. This 2156 wasn’t a post-apocalyptic world. She ran to the window and looked out. The house was by the beach, and she could see the ocean. There were trees and flowers in the garden, and in the garden next door children were playing.

Callie was alive. Clarke was alive.

Euphoria swept through her and she sobbed a laugh. They had stopped the apocalypse, and saved humanity. Marcus was going to be so pleased.

 _Marcus._ Her euphoria disappeared in an instant, replaced by a gnawing fear, and she sat down on the bed, her hands shaking. Where was he? Why wasn’t he here with her? She had to find him. What was it he had said to her?  “ _I’ll come and find you. Nothing will stop me having you in my life.”_ She’d talk to Callie, tell her how important it was to find Marcus. Everything was going to be okay.

She tried not to think the unthinkable.

She decided to have a shower, and when she got out, wrapped in a soft bathrobe, she found a tray with a dainty breakfast waiting for her. She devoured it hungrily and then, opening the closet, found a suitcase with some clothes in it. She assumed they were hers, so she dressed in a pair of cropped jeans and a t-shirt, and twisted her wet hair up into a knot on her head. She slipped her feet into a pair of thongs and, taking a deep breath, opened the bedroom door and headed out of the room.

It was disorientating, trying to find her way around a house when she’d never been in one before. Judging from the view from the window she was on the second floor, so she headed towards the stairs leading down to the first floor. The house was enormous. The stairs took her down into a spacious living room with floor to ceiling windows looking out towards the ocean. She stopped at the bottom, uncertain which way to go next.

“Callie?” she called tentatively, and was relieved to hear her friend’s voice from the other end of the house.

“In here!”

Abby was trying to work out where “here” was when the doorbell rang, and Callie’s voice came again.

“Could you get that honey? I have my hands full.”

“Um, sure,” Abby responded, looking desperately around for the door. Behind her an archway led into a hallway and she guessed correctly that that was where the front door was.

When she got to the door she paused with her hand on the handle, taking a deep breath and bracing herself to meet the person on the other side. _Let it be Marcus, please let it be Marcus._ She just needed to talk to him, so they could work out together what had happened and how to proceed. She didn’t want to have to hide her state of confusion from anyone else right now.

She opened the door hesitantly, and was met by a huge bunch of roses. She blinked in surprise, trying to see the person behind them.

She was not prepared for the sparkling blue eyes and cheeky grin that met her gaze from behind the flowers.

“Hey babe,” said a deep and once-loved voice, and Abby fainted straight into the arms of Jake Griffin.

  


…………………………

  


When she came to she was lying on the sofa, and Jake and Callie were whispering together over her head. She lay still, so as  not to draw attention to herself, and tried to hear what they were saying.

“She’s so confused,” Callie was saying. “I think she banged her head. Should we call the doctor?”

“Let’s see how she is when she comes round,” Jake answered. “If she’s still confused I’ll call Jackson.”

Abby watched as he kissed her forehead and ran his hand up and down her arm in an unmistakably intimate gesture. Jake and Callie? How did that happen? She felt a tiny stab of jealousy, which was completely irrational. She cleared her throat and tried to sit up.

“Abby, take it easy,” said Jake, immediately rushing to help her, but she ignored him.

“I’ll get some water,” Callie said, and Abby smiled gratefully.

As Callie left the room, Abby turned her attention to her husband sitting next to her on the sofa. She couldn’t believe he was here in front of her, alive and well. A tide of emotions engulfed her as she took in his handsome face, the blue eyes which had once shone with so much love for her and were now filled with concern.

“Jake. Oh Jake.” A lump formed in her throat and she struggled to speak. “I missed you so much,” she whispered, and he took her in his arms, surprised by her emotion. She wrapped her arms around him, breathing in his familiar scent and the memories of his love, of their life together, came flooding back. “Oh my God. I missed you so much.” It was so much to take on board, first Callie and now Jake, ghosts from her past she had never expected to see again. The tears flowed for the third time that day, years of grief and guilt spilling out against his chest in hot shaky sobs.

“Abby,” he murmured, stroking her hair. “I’ve only been away five months. We saw each other at Christmas. You didn’t miss me this much even when we were married and I was away on Alpha Station.”

 _When we were married._ She had been married to Jake, and they’d had Clarke. She lifted her head from his chest to look him in the face.

“You work on Alpha Station?”

Jake gaped at her. “Abby, you know I do. I’ve worked there since Clarke was a toddler. That’s why our marriage broke down. You couldn’t cope with me being away half the year.” He frowned. “I think I’m going to call Jackson, get you checked over.”

“No! No, I’m okay. I’m sorry, I’m just feeling emotional today.” She smiled as she wiped her eyes. “It’s just - it’s so good to see you again.”

“Well, you know you will always be one of my favourite people to see too,” he said with a soft smile, his hand ruffling her hair affectionately. “You sure you’re okay?”

“I will be.”  She watched him thoughtfully, processing the new information and trying to decide how she felt about it. She wondered if she was still in love with him, if it was possible to be in love with two men at once. Marcus knew that Jake would always be a part of her, he’d told her so many times. But Jake was her past, and Marcus was her present. So much had happened, she had changed so much since she’d been married to Jake. “Are you and Callie happy, Jake?”

He smiled but his eyes creased in a slight frown, as if her question puzzled him. “Yes. Very happy. More than anything, it’s easier since she works on Alpha Station too. The distance is a killer.” He paused. “But you know I’ll forever regret losing you.”

The sadness in his words pierced her heart. She and Jake clearly weren’t destined to have a happy ending in any plane of reality. They stared at each other, lost in their respective different memories of their marriage, and Abby didn’t know which version was more heartbreaking; a happy twenty year marriage ripped apart by the Ark’s rigid justice system, or a marriage thwarted in its infancy by a distance too great to bear.

They were interrupted by Callie coming back with the water.  “You’d better start getting ready,” she said, setting the water down on the table. “Harper will be here soon to do your hair.”

“My hair?”

“Abby, you can’t get married with your hair tied up in a knot like that,” Callie chuckled, her arm winding around Jake’s shoulders.

“Oh God,” Abby breathed, her heart sinking. “Today’s my wedding day.” It was more of a question than she made it sound.

Jake and Callie exchanged worried glances. “Yes,” said Callie gently. “The beautiful beach wedding you always dreamed of. So come on, let’s get started. Thelonious will be here at one.”

 


	20. Where is Marcus?

_Abby_

 

The words turned her blood to ice in her veins. _Thelonious will be here soon._ The room began to spin, and she worried she’d pass out again. _She was marrying Thelonious_. A sob rose in her throat and she struggled to swallow it. She didn’t want any more scenes in front of Jake and Callie, but she had to get out of there.

“I just need to use the bathroom,” she said weakly, and Callie nodded and pointed towards the archway.

“Through there on the left,” she said with a smile, and Abby bolted from the room, bile rising in her throat.

She just managed to get inside the bathroom before nausea overcame her and she lunged for the toilet bowl. She vomited her breakfast and then some and then sank on the floor against the cold tiled wall, shaking. _No no no no._ This couldn’t be happening. This was a nightmare. She couldn’t marry Thelonious. She didn’t love him. She loved Marcus. Where was he? Tears slid down her cheeks and misery washed over her. What had they done? Why hadn’t they just stayed in the past? At least they had been together. That was all that mattered. That was _all_ that mattered. Except she knew that it wasn’t. She put her head in her hands and cried until she thought her heart would break.

When she had no tears left to cry, she got unsteadily to her feet and washed her hands and face in the washbasin. Her eyes were swollen and bloodshot from all the crying she’d done and she bathed them with cold water, willing them to return to normal. Struggling to keep the feeling of hopelessness at bay, she forced herself to focus. She had to think of a plan. She was getting married again today. Was that even legal? She’d just got married the day before, to a different person. Then she remembered that wedding had happened one hundred and nine years ago. She doubted it would still be valid, and anyway, it was more just an exchange of vows. They hadn’t signed anything, since they hadn’t actually existed in 2047.

On the positive side, if there was going to be a wedding today, that meant people would be coming. Maybe somebody would know Marcus, or where he was. Hell he might even be a guest. Then when she got to the altar with Thelonious, if there was no sign of Marcus, she’d pretend to faint again. Her medical experience meant she knew well enough what someone looked like when they fainted. If she fainted twice in one day they’d definitely postpone the wedding, and that would buy her time. After that she could search for Marcus on the internet, track him down, and explain to Thelonious why she couldn’t marry him. Well not the real reason, of course. She’d think of something. She didn’t want to hurt him but she couldn’t live a lie.

And if Marcus had been erased from existence, she still had the splinter vest. She’d have to go back to 2047 and stop them blowing up the lab. Let the apocalypse happen. Save _him_ instead of saving the world. A tiny voice in the back of her mind told her that he wouldn’t want that, but she loved him too much, was too selfish to sacrifice him. They’d find another way.

She left the bathroom and returned to the living room. There was no sign of Jake or Callie. She was wondering what to do when a blonde hurricane whirled in wearing a pair of dark sunglasses, and her heart leapt. _Clarke._

“Hi mom!” Clarke said, giving Abby a warm hug which Abby clung to more than Clarke realised.  “Ugh, you look as bad as I feel.” She sat down, resting her head back on the sofa and massaging her temples. “That is the last time I’m doing shots with Raven. That girl can drink anyone under the table.”

Seeing her daughter alive and happy made Abby forget the desperation of her situation for a moment. She studied this alternative version of her daughter with joy. She seemed the same in every respect, but she had a more carefree air about her. This Clarke had never had to irradiate hundreds of innocent people to save her people, or mercy kill the man who was in love with her. She didn’t know what it meant to fight for survival, to be captured and tortured, or to be the last human survivor on the surface of the Earth. She was a typical twenty-four year old whose biggest problem was that she had drunk too much last night and had a splitting headache for her mom’s wedding, and that made Abby’s heart sing.

“Well, I told you to be careful,” she smiled, thinking that was the sort of thing she would have said, but Clarke looked at her in surprise, lifting her sunglasses to see her better.

“No, you didn’t. You bought us another round.”

“Oh.” Abby didn’t know what to say to that. “Well, you need to drink lots of water. Here.” She passed her the glass Callie had brought her and Clarke drank it thirstily. When she had finished she put the glass down and grinned at Abby.

“So, are you ready for your big day? It’s so exciting,” she said.

“Yeah,” said Abby with a weak smile. She took Clarke’s hand, trying to think how to phrase the question on the tip of her tongue. She wanted more information but she couldn’t risk raising suspicion.

“Clarke, you are happy for me, aren’t you?”

“Mom, you know I am.” Clarke gave her a puzzled glance. “I’d never want you to be alone. Dad has Callie. I have Lexa and we’re only here a few months a year. Mom!” as tears welled in Abby’s eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, honey,” she said with a smile. “I’m fine, just a bit emotional. Give me a hug?”

Clarke obliged and Abby hid her tears in her daughter’s hair, trying to ignore the fact that Clarke only seemed concerned that Abby wasn’t alone. She was obviously marrying Thelonious out of loneliness and the black hole of despair swallowed her up a little bit more at the thought.

“He’s a good man,” said Clarke quietly. “And he loves you, everybody can see that.”

Abby was silent, churning Clarke’s words over in her mind, but she was prevented from answering by the doorbell ringing. It was Harper, who had come to do Abby and Clarke’s hair for the wedding. Callie busied herself making coffee and cookies for everyone while Harper set up her equipment, chattering excitedly the whole time. Clarke and Harper were clearly friends and Abby listened as they gossiped together about people they knew as Harper worked.

“So are Bellamy and Octavia speaking again yet?” Harper asked as she separated Abby’s hair into sections in order to curl it.

“Ugh. Not really,” said Clarke. “I think it’s going to take Bellamy a long time to forgive her. He’s having a hard time accepting who his little sister has become.”

Abby’s eyes shot to Clarke’s face. This sounded a little too familiar. “What did Octavia do?” she asked.

“Well you know she got promoted at work,” Clarke explained. “Everyone said she wasn’t ready for that kind of responsibility. To be fair, she even said herself she was no leader. But she was the best person for the job - they had a kind of selection process and she came out on top. Well no sooner had she started the job than the company started having financial problems. I mean _big_ problems. Octavia did what had to be done. She had to lay off workers to ensure the survival of the company. The company had over twelve hundred employees and Octavia had to fire three hundred and seventy-six people, but at least the company survived and eight hundred and fourteen people still have jobs. But Bellamy sees her as a monster.” She paused. “It’s been a really dark year for her.”

Abby nearly spat her coffee at that. The parallels with their timeline were uncanny. “I’m sure Octavia did the best she could,” she said weakly. “Bellamy will come round.”

“Well it doesn’t help that Octavia hates his new girlfriend,” chimed in Harper. “But he and Echo have become really close over the last couple of years. I mean I know Echo has a history of violence but she’s really reformed. I think they make a great couple.

“Yeah,” said Clarke distantly, and Abby had the feeling there was more beneath the surface. When Clarke didn’t go on she didn’t press it but she knew her daughter too well. Her Clarke had always had a soft spot for Bellamy Blake.

“How’s Madi?” asked Harper, changing the subject.

“Madi?” Abby’s forehead creased in confusion.

“Mom! Honestly.” Clarke rolled her eyes. “She’s great. She’s camping with Lexa. She’s really got Lexa’s love of nature. I call them my two grounders,” - Abby nearly choked, but luckily Clarke and Harper didn’t notice - “because they’d rather sleep on the ground than in a proper bed.”

Harper chuckled. “How old is she now? It must be, what, a year since you adopted her?”

“Nearly two,” said Clarke. “She’s twelve now.”

Abby tried to maintain her composure, which wasn’t easy given that she had just found out she was grandmother to a twelve year old. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that, but she knew in her heart that Marcus would be over the moon to have a granddaughter. Her stomach lurched again as she wondered where he was. She thought she would scream if she had to sit still and smile any longer. Luckily Harper finished her hair and makeup quickly and she escaped to her bedroom where Callie was waiting to help her and Clarke dress. 

 

..................................

 

At a quarter to two Abby was dressed for her second wedding in two days. Her dress was more elaborate than her New York dress, soft ivory satin falling off her hips to her ankles. The afternoon was warm and sunny and the beach looked beautiful, the ocean calm and deep cornflower blue. Simple rows of chairs had been set out at the bottom of Callie’s garden, where the grass met the sand, and small bouquets of flowers decorated a small table at the front. The chairs were already filled with happily chattering people and Abby wished she could share their excitement but her stomach was twisting into anxious knots.

Jake and Callie were waiting for her in the living room when she and Clarke came down. Clarke was her maid of honour and was wearing a pale peach dress which matched the tiny flowers Harper had placed in Abby’s hair. Callie hugged them both happily with a whispered "Beautiful!", her eyes shining with emotion, and Abby wondered what they really thought of her marriage to Thelonious, whether they were truly happy for her or if they suspected she was marrying out of loneliness and felt sorry for her.

“You look stunning,” Jake murmured as he kissed her on the cheek, and the warmth in his smile made a lump rise in Abby’s throat. She tried to return his smile but ended up blinking back tears instead. How had it come to this, that her beloved husband of twenty years was congratulating her on her marriage to Thelonious Jaha?  Even taking Marcus out of the equation the situation was bleak.

Clarke linked her arm through hers and led her down the garden, Abby's eyes skimming the crowds of people. Everyone was here; Bellamy and Octavia, Raven, Murphy and Emori, Eric and Nate, but her eyes were only looking for one face, a bearded face with dark eyes and a stubborn curl that flopped onto his forehead. Could it be that fate had brought everyone together in this timeline except Marcus? She refused to believe that.

She could see Thelonious standing at the front, in front of the priest. Every muscle in her body screamed at her to run in the opposite direction, but her legs were like jelly and nausea swirled within her. She forced herself to breathe deeply and plastered a smile on her face, trying her hardest to radiate a happiness she didn’t feel. She glanced at Clarke, focusing on her instead of the man waiting to begin his life with her.

It was a miracle she made it down the aisle, but she did. As they approached Thelonious, Abby looked around desperately one last time for Marcus’s face, hoping against hope to see him in the crowd. She felt Clarke let go of her arm and gently manoeuvre her into place, and panic washed over her as she stood there, unsupported and alone.

This was it. There was no sign of Marcus. She was going to have to go through with her plan to fake faint in order to postpone the wedding. She turned her head to look at Thelonious, to look into the eyes of the man she was supposed to be marrying, but to her surprise he merely smiled at her and stepped backwards to sit down in the front row of chairs.

The person that stepped forward to take his place next to her had dark eyes that were nearly liquid in their intensity, a beard speckled with grey and a lopsided smile that melted her heart.

And Abby fainted straight into his arms.

  


……………………………

  


When she came around she was lying once again on Callie’s sofa. She blinked as she looked around her in confusion but her heart instantly calmed as her eyes finally found his face, that face that was so dear to her, that made her feel safe and cherished and wanted. His eyes were studying her anxiously and they creased into a smile as her eyes met his.

“Marcus. Oh thank God. Thank God.” She sat up and took him in her arms, holding him tightly to her. “You’re here…” she whispered. “I thought you’d been erased.”

His arms tightened around her at her words and he pressed kisses to her head. “I’m here, I’m here. It’s okay.”

She laughed with giddy relief as tears of happiness spilled onto her cheeks. She drew back to look him in the face, her hands on his beard, in his hair, reassuring herself he was really there.  “What happened to you?”

Marcus wiped away her tears with his thumbs. “I don’t know. I must have splintered back accidentally after I got Diyoza out. I woke up in a strange bedroom, wondering where on earth I was.”

“Me too,” said Abby. “I was so confused. I didn’t know where I was. I didn’t know where you were. And then Callie said I was getting married, and Thelonious would be here soon. I thought I was marrying Thelonious.” This last came out with a semi-hysterical sob, and he brought her to him again.

“Oh Abby. I came with him, he’s my best man. I was staying at his house. There was a cell phone by my bed with photos and videos of us on it. Messages from you. So I knew you were here and we were together. I wasn’t worried at all.” He rubbed his beard thoughtfully. “You must have one too. I wonder where it is.”

Abby shook her head. “I didn’t find anything. I had no idea what was happening. I didn’t even know what year it was, I assumed I was still in twenty forty-seven.” She paused in thought for a moment. “There are photos of us? Of our life here?”

He nodded. “Photos and videos. Some very nice videos of you.” His cheeks turned a little pink and he lowered his lashes. “I watched those a few times.”

Abby laughed. “I bet you did.” She stroked his beard and they smiled happily at each other. “How are we ever going to catch up on our lives? Learn about ourselves, what we do here, who we are?”

“I don’t know. It’s so confusing. It’s good to see everyone but I’m constantly worrying I’m going to say something wrong, or not know something I should.”

Abby nodded in agreement. “I guess if we get married, we’ll go on a honeymoon. We could use that time to research ourselves, find out as much as we can. Try to recreate our memories, so to speak.”

Marcus didn’t say anything for a moment, and her smile faded as he got up off the sofa and walked across the room. He stood at the window, looking out at the ocean, and ran his hands through his hair. Abby followed him with her eyes, confused.

“Marcus?”

He finally turned to look at her, but the sudden sadness on his face made her heart stand still.

“What is it?” she asked, alarmed.

“I’m sorry, Abby,” he said. “But we can’t get married.”

  
  
  
  



	21. Reunion

_Marcus_

 

Abby flinched as if she had been slapped. 

“Marcus…” The hurt in her eyes pierced his heart, and he closed his eyes against it, but she stood up and went to him, forcing him to look at her. “I don’t understand.”

He wanted to take it back, take away her hurt, but he had known the minute he’d seen her walk out of the house that he couldn’t marry her and in that moment he’d seen all his hopes shattered into a million pieces.

“Abby … Jake’s here. He’s alive. You should be with him, he’s your husband. Clarke’s father. I can’t get in the way of that.” 

He’d seen the sadness on her face as she’d looked at Jake Griffin, before Clarke had taken her arm and led her down the aisle, and it had broken his heart but at the same time it made perfect sense to him. He’d seen how much she’d grieved for Jake, how much she’d blamed herself for his death. Now she had a second chance with him and he had to give her that.

If he loved her, he had to give her that.

“What?” She shook her head in confusion. “But I’m not in love with Jake, I’m in love with -“

“Abby.” He was silent for a minute, trying to gather himself. “He deserves you more than I do.”

She bristled at this. “He deserves me? What, am I some kind of prize now? To be passed to the most deserving man? Don’t  _ I  _ get a say about which man I want to spend the rest of my life with?”

Her voice was shaking with anger and he cursed himself. “That’s not what I meant. I just don’t want you to have to choose,” he said lamely.

She scoffed. “So you’re just taking yourself out of the picture? Marcus, this is ridiculous.” Her eyes searched his face and he averted his gaze, couldn’t look into those beautiful brown orbs he loved so much. “You just don’t think you deserve to be happy, but you do. How can you give up on us so easily?”

His heart broke a little bit more at her words. Giving her up, giving up his dreams of a life with her, would be the hardest thing he’d ever do and God knows he’d done some hard shit in his life. 

“Abby, how can you think that?” he asked her. “You are the only woman I’ve ever loved, the only chance at happiness I’ve ever had.” He ran his hand through his hair. “You are  _ everything  _ to me. Do you think it’s easy to give you up to the man who has already had twenty years with you?” 

She stared at him, open mouthed, and then stepped towards him. He wondered if she was going to slap him but her hands were gentle on his cheeks and he closed his eyes briefly at her touch.

“Then don’t do it,” she whispered and before he knew it her lips were on his, insistent and demanding and he wasn’t strong enough not to kiss her back.

“You are everything to  _ me,”  _ she whispered when they broke apart. “How can you even think about leaving me, after everything we’ve been through?”

“But what about Jake? You and he have so much history together…”

“Not here. He’s married to Callie,” said Abby. “We divorced when Clarke was young because he was away on Alpha Station so much.” 

“Really?” Hope tugged at his heart, lifted the corners of his mouth. 

“And you and I have history together too Marcus. Seven years. It may not seem as long but we’ve lived a whole lifetime together. You are the only person who knows me now, who knows what I’ve been through. What I’ve done.” 

“You just looked so sad,” he whispered. “When you looked at him. And as you came down the aisle you kept turning to look at him…”

“You idiot! I was looking for  _ you,  _ Marcus! And I was sad because I thought I was marrying Thelonious and you had been erased! Of course I looked sad! My heart was breaking!”

He rested his forehead against hers as he let her words sink in. She was right - what had he been thinking? They belonged together, they were two halves of a whole. As inseparable as night and day, one beginning where the other left off.

“I love you,” he murmured.

“I love you too,” she answered, her eyes shining with tears. “Don’t you ever think these things again. Okay?”

“I won’t. I promise.”

“So are you going to marry me again or not?”

“Yes!” He nodded, his heart filling with happiness. “Yes. But just for once I would like to be the one to ask  _ you  _ to marry _ me _ .”

“Maybe you did. I’m sure we’ll find out one way or another. And if you didn’t, there’s always next time.”

“Next time?” He drew back in surprise. 

“You never know,” she said mischievously, reaching up to kiss him again and he lost himself in her kisses for a moment, chasing her lips even when she would have stopped. 

“I swear to God, this is the last time I’m marrying you,” he said when they finally broke apart.

“I hope so too,” she sighed happily.

“You look beautiful by the way.”

“Thank you. You look pretty hot yourself.”

“You’d say that if I was wearing overalls and a baseball cap.”

“That’s true,” she acknowledged, and he laughed. 

“Come on. Let’s go and get married. Again.” He slipped his arm around her waist and led her towards the door, but a sudden thought flashed through his head and he stopped in his tracks. 

“Wait a moment. You thought you were marrying Thelonious, and you were going to go through with it?”

“Of course not! I just needed to see if you were around, and then I was going to pretend to faint.”

He gazed at her, an affectionate smile playing on his lips. “You’re incredible.”

“I know,” she said, and he wondered for the millionth time if it was possible to love her any more than he already did.

 

..............................

 

They said their vows at sunset in the end, as Callie had organised brief refreshments for everyone while they waited. Abby also needed her hair doing again after fainting and lying on the sofa, although if Marcus was honest with himself it may also have got slightly mussed up during their kisses. This time they signed the marriage register, meaning they really were officially husband and wife.

The weather was warm enough for the reception to be in the garden. There was music and food and plenty of wine although they decided it was better to avoid that. They needed to be as alert and clear headed as possible. Luckily no one else had any qualms about consuming copious amounts of alcohol, meaning that they were less aware of his and Abby’s confusion and lack of memories.

Marcus kept Abby close to him, his hand always in hers, or on her back, or round her waist protectively. She was radiant with happiness and he couldn’t keep his eyes off her as she chatted and laughed with everyone, her eyes sparkling and her smile lighting up the night. 

He felt like the luckiest man in the world, in more ways than one. He couldn’t believe how well everything had turned out.  _ Everyone  _ was here. Fate had really pulled out all the stops. He’d already been reunited with Jaha and Wells that morning, and his heart filled as Sinclair and Pike kissed Abby and slapped his back in congratulations. The kids were bubbly drunk by the time they spoke to them, Raven joking “About  _ time _ you two tied the knot” and Bellamy full of excitement about their next soccer match. He was surprised to find out he played soccer, he’d never played in his life and he wondered how that was going to play out when he found himself in the middle of a match.

Indra was there, talking to Lincoln and Nyko, and it was strange to see them dressed in normal clothes instead of their grounder clothes. He noticed Octavia looking shyly at Lincoln and it occurred to him that this was different, they weren’t together yet in this timeline. This wasn’t a bad thing, he thought; she was older now, and from the way Lincoln was returning her glances, it wouldn’t be long before they fell in love.

His reunion with Octavia had been maybe the most emotional of all. She’d hurled himself into his arms with cries of “Congratulations!” and he’d hugged her back with wide-eyed disbelief. When she’d placed a sloppy kiss on his cheek and whispered “Thank you for everything,” his eyes filled with tears at the difference from their last encounter, when she’d been poised to kill him. Thankfully this went unnoticed by Octavia, who had moved on to kiss Abby and tell her she was “Even more gorgeous than usual,” before shooting off to get more wine with Clarke. 

“Well!” he said to Abby when they were alone for a moment. “That was unexpected.”

“Remind me to tell you Octavia’s story,” said Abby, taking a sip of her orange juice. “You’re not going to believe it.”

They mingled a little more, talking to Nate and Eric, Jake and Callie - he thought it would be strange talking to Jake with Abby hanging off his arm but Jake was obviously so used to the situation that it wasn’t as weird as he expected. Then he and Abby danced under the stars, swaying to the music, their arms wrapped tightly around each other, his lips near her ear.

“I love you,” he told her over and over, and she hummed happily against his neck. 

When the celebrations were over, and the wine had been drunk, everybody gathered to wave them off for their honeymoon. Abby tossed her bouquet over her shoulder with a giggle and Marcus watched in amusement when the girls all dived on top of it, Octavia finally emerging triumphantly from the scrum with the flowers in her hand. He laughed as she grinned happily at Lincoln and then he and Abby got into the small limo which was to take them a couple of hours down the coast to their cabin on the beach.

It was a relief finally to be alone, to be able to relax and not worry about saying the wrong thing. They sat in silence for a while, just enjoying being together, her head on his shoulder, but after a while her fingers started tracing patterns higher and higher up his inner thigh.

“Abby…” he murmured, stilling her hand with his, and she smiled at him with wide-eyed innocence. Damn the woman, she knew exactly which buttons to push but he was absolutely not going to consummate their marriage in the back of a car with the driver three feet away. “Be patient.” He kissed her, smiling against her lips, and she sighed in protest.

 

..............................

 

By the time they got to the cabin on the beach it was after midnight and even though they were exhausted they were barely in the door before Abby was slipping his jacket of his shoulders and unbuttoning his shirt. They fell onto the bed in a tangle of clothes and limbs, their hands working frantically to free more skin to kiss and caress. Abby moaned as his mouth found the spot on her neck that made her quiver with pleasure and for a moment he thought she might come just from his kisses, but no, she wanted more than that so he slid down the zip on her dress and freed her breast, his thumb skimming her nipple and eliciting a wild sigh from her. 

His mouth moved from her neck to her breast, his tongue teasing her nipples as she writhed and gasped in pleasure. He lifted his head long enough to help her slip her dress over her head before turning his attention to her breasts again while his fingers traced feather-light patterns over her panties. 

“Oh God Marcus,” she groaned, and her voice made him ache for her even more. He couldn’t wait to be inside her but first there was something else he wanted to do. Moving down her body, he kissed her taut stomach while his fingers hooked inside her lacy underwear, slipping them down over hips as she trembled beneath his touch. He buried his nose in her soft warmth and a groan of relief escaped him as he finally tasted the sweet wetness between her legs.

She was so tightly wound that his tongue made her arch off the bed, her cry of surprise sending pleasure shooting through him. He gently teased her, licking and sucking until she was on the brink and then moving his mouth to kiss her thighs, making her groan in frustration. 

“Marcus…” 

When she could stand it no more she grabbed his head and twisted her fingers into his hair, keeping him where she wanted him until she erupted into a violent, shuddering orgasm beneath him, her breathy cries driving him wild. 

“Oh my God,” she said breathlessly when he moved up the bed next to her to hold her until the shock waves flooding through her body stopped. “Oh my God. I love you.” She kissed him on the mouth and then collapsed against his chest and he smiled as he felt her heart pounding. He tightened his arms around her, holding her closely to him.

“I love it so much when you come like that,” he said roughly. “It’s the sexiest thing in the world.”

She lifted her head to look him directly in the eyes and the desire he saw there made his stomach flip.

“Now it’s your turn,” she said, and she moved over him until she was straddling him. Lifting herself up, she sank down onto him and he closed his eyes in bliss. He soon opened them again though as she began to move; she was too beautiful not to watch as she rode him, her hair cascading over her shoulders and her dark eyes fixed on his as she watched him, gauging from his expression when to speed up and when to move tantalisingly slowly, letting his climax build in layer upon layer of sweet pleasure. Seeing that she was getting close he slipped his fingers to where their bodies met and when her head tipped back as she came again it was too much for him and he exploded inside her, so forcefully that he thought he would pass out. 

She fell against his chest and they lay together, panting and sweaty, waiting for their breathing and heartbeats to return to normal. 

“You know,” said Abby finally, “I think that was the best it’s ever been. It was amazing.”

“Sex with you is always amazing,” he answered, and she lifted her head to kiss him tenderly.

“This was more amazing. I can’t remember it being like that since Polis.”

“Really?” His eyes creased in concern. A thought occurred to him. “Abby, when was the last time you took your pills?”

Her eyes widened as she considered his question. “Not since before we got married in Central Park. That’s - “ she screwed up her eyes in thought. “ - nearly thirty-six hours ago. Give or take a hundred years.”

They chuckled at that and then he watched as the pieces fell into place in her head.

“Marcus! I’m not in withdrawal! Do you think that means…” she hardly dared put her hopes into words and he nodded, a huge smile spreading across his face.

“You’re clean, Abby. It’s over, sweetheart.”

She cried then, hot tears of happiness pouring down her cheeks. He kissed her again and again and she hugged him so hard he thought he’d suffocate, and when she was all cried out they settled down to sleep, wrapped in each other’s arms.

“Marcus,” she said sleepily against his chest. “If sex is this good without pills, I want to have lots of it. Lots and lots.”

“More than we do already?”

“Yes.”

“Okay,” he smiled, stroking her hair. “Sweet dreams, Abby.”

“Sweet dreams, Marcus.”

  
  



	22. Honeymoon

_Abby_

 

Her dreams were anything but sweet.

She dreamed of crying endless tears, of the constant ache of loneliness, and eternal waiting. Of blonde curls and chubby arms which hugged her tightly and whispered, _Mommy, don’t cry_ . A pair of blue eyes full of sadness as she heard her own voice, wracked with grief, _I can’t do this anymore. It’s over. It’s over._

She awoke with a start, shaking, her cheeks wet with tears. For a moment she didn’t know where she was, the unfamiliar wooden walls of the cabin leaving her disorientated. She peeled herself off Marcus, who was snoring gently, and made her way to the bathroom. The heartache of the dream was so vivid that she felt it like a physical pain in her chest and she breathed deeply to still her racing heart. She used the toilet and washed her hands and face, trying to chase the dream from her thoughts.

She was shivering now, so she went back to bed and curled into Marcus, drawing warmth from his body. He didn’t wake up but he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him in his sleep, and lulled by the rise and fall of his chest, she drifted back to sleep.

The next time she awoke it was daylight, and a glance at the clock on the nightstand told her it was nearly lunch time. She stretched luxuriously in Marcus’s arms and smiled as he pulled her back towards him. He was already hard for her and she reached behind her and took him in her hand, making him moan softly.

“You really meant it,” he murmured into her hair, and she could hear the smile in his voice. “About wanting lots of sex.”

She hummed. “I did.” Her fingers were feather light and she loved the way his breath hitched at her touch. He moved behind her, angling himself and she drew her knees up and sighed happily as he slid inside her.

Unlike the previous evening, their lovemaking was slow and unhurried. They took their time, enjoying being together, soft kisses and murmured words of love falling from their lips as they took each other to a wonderfully satisfying climax.

Afterwards they lay facing each other, ridiculously happy grins on their faces.

“So Mrs Kane,” he said, his voice still deep with sleep and sex, “how are you this morning?”

She sighed with pleasure. “I’ve never been better.” And it was the truth. She really hadn’t felt this good, either physically or emotionally, in her life.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Very! Well, except that I had this really vivid dream. About Jake.”

His eyebrows shot up in amusement. “Are you telling me,” he asked, “that I gave you some of the best sex of your life, on our wedding night, and then you fell asleep and dreamed about your _ex-husband?”_

Hearing it like this, her cheeks flushed pink. “Well, yes. But it wasn’t like that.”

He rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling in mock offence. “Oh?”

“Hey.” She suppressed a laugh at his annoyed expression. Her hand caressed his chest but when he didn’t respond she slid her hand up to his cheek to turn his face towards her. “Am I going to have to show you again that you are the only man for me?”

“I think you might have to,” he replied, and she leaned in and kissed him gently at first, then more deeply, her tongue exploring his mouth in a long slow kiss that left them breathless.

“Is that better?” she whispered when she pulled away and he nodded, a twinkle in his eye.

“A bit.”

“Can I tell you about my dream now?”

“Is Jake still in it?

“Yes.”

“Oh. Okay then.”

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I dreamed about our divorce. I was crying, and he was crying and then I told him it was over. But it was so _real._ When I woke up I was crying.”

His expression softened. “Oh Abby. I guess it’s normal though. You saw Jake yesterday when you thought he'd been dead for seven years. It’s a lot to take on board.”

“The thing is, I’m not sure it was a dream. I think it was a memory.”

“What? _”_

“A memory of what happened. Of my other life.”

He was silent for a moment, ruminating on what she’d said, but she interrupted his thoughts.

“Did you dream about anything?"

“Only you. Always,” he said smoothly and she laughed.

“Seriously.”

“Just that I was playing soccer with Bellamy, and he was off-side as usual -“

“What’s off-side?”

“Well, it’s when there are no defending players between him and the goal -“

“I know what off-side is Marcus. I’m just surprised you do.” She watched as realisation dawned on him.

“Right. How do I know that? I’ve never been interested in soccer.”

It was true. Abby had spent many evenings watching old soccer matches on the Ark with Jake and Clarke but Marcus had never shown the slightest interest in the sport, preferring to read or watch documentaries about Earth in the little free time they had.

“Abby! I know how to play soccer!” His face was alight with wonder.

“You see? It was a memory. Our dreams are memories. This is how we are going to find out about our past.”

 

..................................

 

That afternoon Abby was relaxing on the deck overlooking the beach, a long cool drink next to her on the table and a pair of sunglasses on her nose. She was flicking through her phone, looking at photos and videos of this other life. There were days out, parties, holidays. The photos of her and Marcus‘s happy faces smiling out at her from various locations gave her a mix of emotions, her happiness tinged with envy at the carefree life this other version of them had led.

Her phone pinged at that moment and a message came through from Clarke.

_Hi Mom! Hope you’re enjoying your holiday. Thought you’d like to know what happened after you left last night._

The message was followed by two photos, one of Octavia and Bellamy hugging in an obvious reconciliation, and one of Octavia and Lincoln kissing, Octavia pulling Lincoln’s head down to hers whilst her other hand held up a cheeky middle finger to Clarke as she took the photo. Abby laughed and quickly texted back:

_I’m happy for all of them! Give them our love. We’re having a fantastic time. Love you xxx_

She put the phone down, making a mental note to show Marcus the photos. She looked out towards the sea in time to see her husband emerge from the waves and make his way up the beach towards her, the water running down his tanned torso glistening in the sun. Her breath caught in her throat and she felt a warm rush between her legs at the sight of him, and she wondered if it was too soon to drag him back into the bedroom.

Unfortunately for her, Marcus had other ideas.

“Come for a swim,” he said, leaning to kiss her head and dripping cold water all over her sun-warmed skin.

“Marcus! You’re cold!” she protested, and he chuckled, coming closer for another kiss and soaking her even more. She groaned and kissed him back, kissing the salt off his lips and tongue.

“I don’t want to swim,” she said. “The water is cold and wet.”

In response he hooked his arm under her knees and she yelped as he scooped her up off the sun lounger, holding her against his wet body, his dark eyes full of mischief. Turning around, he began to walk back down the beach.

“Marcus! Don’t you dare! Put me _down!_  I swear I’ll file for divorce tomorrow if you so much as even think about -“

Her last words froze on her lips as he plunged her into the clear blue water.

“Marcus!” she shrieked as the water reached every part of her body, taking her breath away. It wasn’t cold but the contrast after sitting in the sun was a shock to her. She would have preferred a more gentle entrance and preferably in a bikini and not her sundress.

“I hate you!” she spluttered, wiping the water from her eyes, but he only laughed and pulled her towards him.

“No you don’t.” He peppered her face with kisses before his mouth found hers and she melted into him, kissing him back with fervour as they bobbed in the waves.

“No, I don’t,” she breathed, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling him hardening through his swimming shorts. She moaned as his hands found her breasts, her nipples already stiff peaks beneath the fabric of her dress.

She held his head in her hands as he kissed her, his tongue foraging deep into her mouth, his thumbs on her nipples adding to the beautifully sweet torture between her legs. They kissed and kissed, the cool water lapping around them, and it took her by surprise as much as it did him, the surge of pleasure that rocketed through her making her clench her legs around him as she gasped into his mouth.

He stilled, drawing back in amazement, his dark eyes filled with lust.

“Did you just…?”

She sank her head onto his shoulder. “Yes,” she mumbled breathlessly.

“Jesus Christ.” He brought his lips to her neck to kiss her softly. “I wasn’t even touching you.”

“I know. I don’t know what’s happening to me.”

“Don’t apologise,” he growled. “It’s hot as fuck.” He kissed her neck again. “Was it good?”

“Isn’t it always?” she sighed. She lifted her head to meet his eyes and he brushed a strand of wet hair out of her face, studying her with eyes full of wonder.

“You’re so beautiful,” he said. “Everyday I discover something new about you that makes me love you even more.”

A lump formed in her throat at his words. “How can you say that? After everything I put you through in the bunker...”

“Abby, it’s over, okay? We can forget it.” He tilted her chin upwards and placed a soft kiss on her lips, but she shook her head stubbornly.

“No. I don’t want to forget it. I can’t pretend it never happened.”

“Technically, it didn’t happen,” he said gently, but her eyes filled with tears.

“Marcus, I’m glad we saved the world. I’m glad we changed the timeline. But I don’t want to forget everything we went through to get here. To become who we are today.”

“I know. I understand that. We won’t forget, but we no longer need to punish ourselves, Abby. We’ve paid for our sins.” They held each other for a long time, until she was beginning to shiver, and he took her hand and led her towards to beach. “Come on. I’ll race you to the shower.”

 

...................................

  


The rest of the week passed in a blissful haze. They made love, swam, went for walks along the beach, made love some more, cooked good food which they ate outside watching the ocean, and spent their evenings drinking wine and talking late into the night before heading to bed to make love again.

Every night they dreamed of their life in this timeline, and little by little they put together the pieces of their world. The memories of their real life stayed with them but were overlaid with this alternate version of the past. Abby could still remember being married to Jake for twenty years, but she could also remember divorcing him after five years of marriage. Marcus knew that he had trained as a guard on the Ark but now he also remembered studying at university in California. The two memories existed side by side in their consciousness, neither one right or wrong, simply two different versions of the same story.

The week slid by lazily, each day more carefree, more relaxed than the previous one as they slowly healed and regenerated, finding their feet in their new reality. They were the happiest days of their lives and they never wanted them to end, but like all good things, they did.

On the last evening, Marcus was cooking dinner, something involving pasta and garlic that smelled heavenly and made Abby’s tummy rumble as she sat on the deck sipping a glass of wine. She could hear Marcus chopping away, the steady tac tac of the knife on the chopping board soothing her. He had the small television on in the kitchen, catching up on the news as he cooked; more out of a desire to know as much as possible about this world than of any real interest in the news stories themselves. Abby laid her head back and closed her eyes, listening to the waves and the murmur of the television.

She was jolted out of her reverie by Marcus calling her name excitedly.

“Abby. Abby! Come and see this!”

She leapt up, nearly spilling her wine, and ran into the kitchen. Marcus was standing in front of the television, transfixed, while on the stove some oil in a pan was beginning to smoke. Abby quickly turned it off before slipping her arm around Marcus’s waist to see what was happening on the TV.

It was a live news report, the reporter talking excitedly into a microphone while behind him crowds of people gathered, their eyes turned up to the sky. The whole scene was illuminated with floodlights, and the blue flashing lights of police cars and ambulances added to the tension.

“.. _.reports of an unidentified flying object over the eastern United States… No radio contact with the craft… Scientists are considering every possibility … The president of the United States is on his way to the scene …”_

The reporter’s voice continued as the camera focused on a group of flashing lights in the sky. The lights grew further apart as the object they were attached to grew closer and therefore bigger to the observer’s eye, and it was possible to make out the form of a spaceship of some kind.

Abby screwed up her nose. “What is it? Some kind of alien invasion? Is this real?”

They watched as the ship landed and the crowd fell quiet, the silence deafening after the previous moments of hysteria. The reporter’s voice trailed off as they watched and waited what seemed like an infinite amount of time but in actual fact was just a few minutes. Finally, the hatch to the ship opened, and they could make out the form of a person silhouetted against the internal light of the ship. A tall, strong but decidedly female form.

Who was also heavily armed.

“That’s no aliens,” chuckled Marcus. “It’s Charmaine Diyoza.”

 

...................................

 

They stayed up late into the night, watching the news coverage of Eligius IV’s return to Earth. The ship had left in September 2047, a few months after Diyoza had helped them to blow up Becca’s lab and save the human race. From all accounts, she had still been captured and sentenced to the the prison ship but the difference now was that she was not returning to a post-apocalyptic Earth.

Abby wracked her brain, trying to remember what Raven had told her about Eligius IV when they were escaping from the bunker. “ _The prisoners revolted and took control of the ship. The mutiny was led by one Charmaine Diyoza.”_

As the evening wore on, and more and more information was released, it became clear that this was not the case in this timeline. From all accounts, Diyoza had been the one to stop the mutiny, single handedly saving some of the crew and putting the revolting prisoners back into cryo before setting a course for Earth to bring them all home safely.

They watched as the prisoners were led off the ship, and Abby gasped as she recognised one with steely eyes and floppy hair being led away in handcuffs.  “It’s McCreary,” she said. “The guy with the glass in his neck. Poor Diyoza, sentenced to life imprisonment with him.”

There was a brief interview with Diyoza, who told the reporter of McCreary’s plan to use weaponized hethylodium as a tool to bargain for his freedom. “It could have destroyed the world,” she said. “I couldn’t let that happen.”

“The woman’s a hero,” said Abby admiringly. “Marcus, I want to meet her. I need to thank her for helping us.”

Marcus shook his head. “Abby, we can’t. We have no way of explaining how we are here, a hundred years in the future and not a day older. We promised Jennifer we wouldn’t tell her about the splinter vests. It’s too risky. _Abby!_ ” as Abby remained silent. “What are you planning?”

But Abby just chewed on her lip, her brown eyes wide. “Nothing,” she muttered innocently. “Yet.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	23. Epilogue

_ Abby _

 

Six weeks later 

 

She’d never get tired of shopping, she decided, as she left the shop and headed down the shady New York Street laden down with bags. The different fabrics and colours delighted her and she was constantly amazed at how the different clothes made her feel; crisp skirts and blouses that made her feel powerful and in control at work, beautiful dresses that caused Marcus’s jaw to drop and a dark smouldering look to cross his eyes, or warm soft sweaters perfect for snuggling up to Marcus on the sofa when they watched tv or talked about their day over a glass of wine. She’d probably spent too much money again - having money was another novelty to her - and Marcus would shake his head in affectionate despair when he saw the fourth dress she’d bought in a week, but it was her money so she didn’t worry too much. 

They had slipped into their new roles easily. Abby was chief of surgery at a small hospital in the city, and after years of doing surgery with the bare minimum on the Ark and in the bunker she found working with 22nd century technology incredibly easy.  Marcus was a detective with NYPD, which Abby found very sexy, and teased him no end. Abby was grateful that Jackson was still her assistant and Marcus’s partner was Charles Pike, so they both spent the majority of their time with people they already knew, although of course their pasts were very different. As with Octavia, though, there were parallels; apparently Pike had recently been through a rough period, allowing his anger to drive him in his fight against gang crime with the result that people had been hurt, and it was only thanks to Marcus that he had seen the error of his ways and had got himself back on track.

She glanced at her watch. A quarter past two. She still had fifteen minutes till her appointment. A thrill shot through her at the thought, as it did every time her mind wandered in that direction, and she still hadn’t been able to work out if it was happiness or fear.  But once they’d come back from their honeymoon the doctor in her had no longer been able to ignore the nausea that gripped her several times a day and the fact that she couldn’t bear Marcus touching her breasts anymore. 

Six years of opioid addiction and unhealthy diet meant that her cycle had always been irregular, and of course she wasn’t going to complain about the weeks on end of period free sex they had enjoyed, but eventually she’d had to face reality so she’d given in and bought a pregnancy test at the pharmacy. The two little blue lines had told her all she’d needed to know, and she’d made an appointment that same day with one of the top ob-gyn centres in New York. She wanted to be a hundred percent sure before she broke the news to Marcus. 

Not that he wasn’t going to be ecstatic. In fact it was for precisely that reason that she’d wanted to be sure. She didn’t want to get his hopes up and then shatter them when it turned out just to be a hormone imbalance or stomach virus.

 

…………………………

  
  


There were a handful of other women in the waiting room of the ob-gyn centre, which was light and airy thanks to the wall of floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over Manhattan. There were comfortable armchairs with footrests to alleviate aching legs and in the centre there was a table with cold drinks and snacks. Abby helped herself to an iced-tea and took a seat facing the window, watching the city far below. Manhattan had never ceased to fascinate her, from the first moment she had seen it back in 2047 in the cab on the way to the Emerson hotel. The city had changed very little over the last century, although the Maglev train which zipped through the city at three hundred feet above the ground was new. Abby hadn’t actually been on it yet, it was a bit too reminiscent of a spaceship for her liking, but she loved to watch it flash by.

She finished her tea and looked at the clock. The doctor was five minutes late but that was a good sign, in her opinion. It meant that she didn’t rush through her appointments to keep to her schedule. 

“Abigail Kane, please come through to room two.”

She jumped up on hearing the electronically reproduced voicing announcing her appointment and gathered her bags. She was making her way towards the door with a number two on it when the door to room one opened and a woman came out.

A tall woman, about six months pregnant, with a piercing blue gaze that stopped them both in their tracks. 

“Abby?”

“Charmaine?” 

They spoke at the same time, identical expressions of surprise on their faces. Abby had been getting increasingly frustrated at her inability to think of a legitimate reason for their existence in 2156 and had all but given up on ever being able to meet Diyoza, but it seemed fate had other ideas. 

Diyoza was staring at her open mouthed and blinking rapidly.  _ Well this must be a first,  _ Abby thought to herself.  _ Charmaine Diyoza at a loss for words. _ Thinking fast, she reached up and kissed the other woman on the cheek as if they were old friends.

“It’s so good to see you, Charmaine! And congratulations are in order I see! How far along are you?” She was babbling, trying to cover their awkwardness, and hoping that Charmaine would play along. The last thing she needed was Diyoza asking questions in front of the other people in the waiting room about how she had travelled a hundred years into the future. Luckily Diyoza was as cool-headed and quick as ever.

“Six months,” she said with a smile, while her eyes were saying a silent  _ What the hell?  _  “You?”

“Oh just a check up.” Abby didn’t want anyone else to know before Marcus. “Listen, call me. Come to dinner. We’d love to see you.” She gave Diyoza a penetrating look, willing her to agree. She groped in her bag for a pen and notepad and scribbled her mobile number. “Here. Call me.” She hugged Diyoza again and slipped quickly into the doctor’s studio without looking back, breathing a sigh of relief as she shut the door behind her.

 

…………………………..

 

She had to work that afternoon at the hospital and it was after eight when she finally let herself into their apartment. She went straight to the fridge and poured herself a glass of cool water. The temperatures were up in the nineties now and her feet and hands were beginning to swell already despite the fact that she wasn’t even two months yet.

The ob-gyn appointment had confirmed her suspicions and now she just had to break the news to Marcus.  She finished her water and poured herself another and then poured one for him before going in search of him. She loved her job but she missed not seeing him all day. Even in the bunker, or in Arkadia, he would find a million excuses to pop into medical, surprising her with some tea or a flower or often just a stolen kiss before he had to shoot off again. Here he was on the other side of the city and she had never spent so much time so far away from him.

The upside was that every evening they were  _ very  _ pleased to see each other. And tonight she had an extra reason to look forward to seeing him.

She found him in his office, peering at the computer screen. He had his glasses on and his hair was mussed up where he had clearly been running his hands through it. His dark, intelligent eyes ran over the words on the screen and he was stroking his neatly trimmed beard thoughtfully. She stood and watched him from the doorway for a moment, enjoying the view. He was so handsome he took her breath away. 

After a minute of ogling she thought she’d better announce her presence, so she pushed the door open and went in. He looked up immediately, his face lighting up with delight at the sight of her. “Abby!”

“Hey,” she said, placing the water on his desk next to the computer and sliding onto his lap. His arms went round her as she looped her arms around his neck.

“Hi,” he smiled, and he brought her closer to kiss her. “Good day?”

“Yes,” she said tiredly. “I miss you when I’m at work.”

“I know you do,” he chuckled. “You tell me every evening.”

She laughed. “Well it’s true.”

“I miss you too,” he said, his eyes darkening a little, and she kissed him again, loving his arms around her and his lips on hers. They stayed like that for a while, lost in each other, neither of them wanting to break the moment. This was what coming home meant to her; coming home to him, to his strong arms and soft kisses and sweet words.

When they finally broke apart she reached for her bag. “I have something to show you.”

She took out the envelope containing the sonogram photos and gave them to him, smiling at the curiosity that lit up his face. Curiosity that quickly turned to disbelief as he blinked at the photos of their son, and she thought her heart would burst as his expression morphed into wonder and then joy. He raised his eyes to hers.

“Abby…”

She smiled and nodded, a lump forming in her throat at the look of pure happiness on his face.

“This is fantastic!” He kissed her, laughing against her lips. “Isn’t it?” He suddenly grew serious, concern crossing his eyes. “Are you pleased?”

She nodded. “Yes.Yes! Of course I am! It’s just a bit of a shock. I didn’t really expect to be a mother again at my age.”

“Well, I certainly never expected to be a father. It’s more than I could ever have hoped for.” His voice cracked a little as he spoke and he swallowed hard. “This is the best news in the world.”

“Really?”

“Really,” he said softly. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” she said, wrapping her arms around him and bringing him in for a long kiss.

“Oh, there’s more news,” she said when they broke apart.

He raised an eyebrow. “More?”

“I bumped into Diyoza. At the ob-gyn centre.”

“Diyoza?” He froze, his euphoria evaporating slightly. “Did she recognise you?”

“Of course she did.”

“Jesus.” He ran his hand through his hair. “What did you say to her?” 

“I gave her my number and invited her to to dinner.”

“What?”

“Marcus, I think we just have to talk to her. Tell her the truth and swear her to silence. We can trust her. Can’t we?”

Marcus was silent for a moment, remembering how Diyoza had believed them, and had even been prepared to die for a cause she only had their word for. He nodded. “Yeah,” he said at last. “I think we can.”

“Good, because she’s coming to dinner next Saturday. She called me as soon as I got out of my appointment. She has Questions.”

“Oh God. Okay. It’ll be okay.” He smiled reassuringly, but she got the feeling it was more to reassure himself than her. “It’ll be good to see her.”

“Come on, lets order pizza to celebrate,” said Abby, getting up to get her phone. The pizza arrived a half an hour later and they ate it at the table in the kitchen, Marcus with a beer even though he had wanted to abstain because Abby couldn’t have one too.

“It’s okay,” she smiled. “There’s no point you giving up everything too. You can make it up to me with diaper changes later.”

He laughed. “I would change all the diapers anyway. You’re already doing enough.”

They ate in silence, grinning stupidly at each other over their food every time their eyes met. When they had finished Marcus told Abby to go and sit on the sofa while he cleared everything away. Abby went with a tiny roll of her eyes. She already knew he wasn’t going to let her do anything during the pregnancy and they were probably going to fall out over it. She wasn’t the sort of person who could stand sitting around being waited on.

When Marcus joined her on the sofa he had his laptop in his hands. “I have something to show you too.”

“What is it?” asked Abby, peering at the screen. A document full of text appeared.

“I’m writing a book,” he said proudly, and she looked at him in surprise. He’d never shown the slightest interest in writing. 

“A book? What about?”

“You,” he said. He put his arm around her and she snuggled into his side.

“You’re writing a book about me? What on earth for?” Her eyebrows couldn’t go any higher.

“Well, you know we were saying that we didn’t want to lose our memories of the old timeline? I thought I’d write them down. That way we’ll always remember it, even if we lose them.”

She scanned the first few paragraphs, then looked at him in admiration. “Marcus, that’s a great idea! But do you think you’ll be able to write everything? So much happened in such a short time…”

“I’m going to try,” he said firmly. “Do you want to help me? I think it’ll be therapeutic. And you never know, I might even publish it.”

“You’d have to change everyone’s names, though,” said Abby in horror.

“Of course, I’ve already thought of that. Look, I’m starting with the part where the kids got sent to the ground. See, Jane is Clarke.”

“Jane?” Abby wrinkled her nose. “I don’t see Clarke as a Jane.”

“What would you have chosen?”

Abby thought for a minute. “Well when I was pregnant with her, I really liked the name Eliza.”

“Eliza? Hmmm. That would work,” said Marcus. She watched as he changed Jane to Eliza, typing awkwardly with one hand, and then clicked “change all”.

“And what about me? You said it’s a book about me.”

“It’s your story,” he said. “So yes, it’s about you. I’ve already chosen a name for you, though.”

“Oh! Please don’t tell me it’s Mary. I’m not a Mary.”

“It’s Paige,” he explained, his cheeks a little pink. “I’ve always liked it as a name. It’s sexy, don’t you think?”

“Paige,” said Abby, rolling the name around her tongue. “I like it. It’s sweet but badass.”

“Which is exactly what you are,” he said with a grin. 

“And what about Marcus Kane?” she asked softly, running her fingers through his hair and kissing him on the head.

“I’m undecided,” he said. “Between Henry and Ian. I like them both.”

“Definitely Ian.”

“I wasn’t sure if it was too, well, masculine for me.”

“Are you kidding?” she cried. “Nothing is too masculine for you.”

He squeezed her waist. “Thank you.”

“So instead of Abby and Marcus, we’d be Paige and Ian? I like the sound of that.”

“It does have a nice ring to it,” he agreed.

“So what about the others? Bellamy, Octavia, Raven…”

“I chose Robert for Bellamy, so it can be shortened to Bob. You know, like Octavia calls him Bell. And Marie for Octavia. I haven’t really got around to the others yet.”

“It sounds great,” said Abby excitedly. “I’m sure you’re going to do a great job. And who knows, it might be a bestseller.” She grinned as a thought occurred to her. “Heck, they might even make it into a TV show!”

“A TV show? About people running around killing each other in the name of survival?”  He threw back his head and laughed his deep belly laugh that made her laugh too and they clung to each other, shaking, until Marcus wiped his eyes. “Abby, who on earth would want to watch that?”

  
  
  


The End 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has read this story, and to those of you who have left comments and kudos, I appreciate every single one! Although this story is finished I have plans to write some one shots / short stories about Abby and Marcus in this universe, and also their backstory in the new timeline. I'll post them separately but put them in a series.


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